Icy Blues and Amber Fires
by Ceye
Summary: Shandra's loss is heartbreaking. Spirits are low initially, but the rambunctious party isn't one to be tame for very long. The fight against the Shadow King must continue! Meanwhile, Casavir and Bishop have to sort out their own demons with each other...with Lily in tow. Rated M for absolutely everything that rated M stands for. Contains lots of Bishop, and lots of Casavir.
1. Chapter 1

_**Ceye's note**__: Hey there everyone! Please try to read every character's dialogue in their respective voice. I spent a lot of time trying to make characters do and say things that stay within their personality. I've also written in the date that I wrote each chapter in case you're interested as to this fic's workflow. :)_

...

* 1 * 2/22/13

Shandra was gone.

It hit them all like an arrow. One minute they were allied against Ammon Jerro's vicious warlock spells, and the next, Sandra was lying spread-eagle on the ground in front of them, the breath of life having been taken from her.

Ammon Jerro had decided to join the party, but this was unsurprisingly received very solemnly. Hardly anyone would have even let him live if he hadn't expressed remorse for killing his own granddaughter. Even then it was a tough pill for them to swallow, but at least he was tolerable, what with the look of constant distress and guilt plain on his face. He certainly wasn't trying to hurt them anymore, and had teleported them to safety outside the crumbling haven in time.

The Knight Captain sighed. She already missed Shandra, and the girl had barely died a few hours ago. "You really don't realize the importance of things until they're gone..." she declared aloud.

"She was a dear friend to us all," Casavir agreed, concerned about their Leader downtrodden expression. Ammon wisely chose to say nothing.

"Will you be alright, Lily?" asked Khelgar. He knew the sun elf and Shandra had been fairly close for the short amount of time they'd had together.

"Yeah. I'll be fine," the Knight Captain reassured the others, looking up from her rock. The party had stopped on the way back to the Keep to reflect, as they weren't really in the mood to return. The group was composed only of Lily, Khelgar, Casavir, Bishop, and Ammon Jerro now that Shandra was gone. Bishop hadn't said a word since threatening Ammon Jerro immediately after he killed Shandra. He was leaning against a high cave wall with his arms folded, looking angrily off into space. The expression was not new.

Finally, he spoke to their Leader, though without even looking at her. "Are we going to head back or what?" As soon as he said this, Bishop cast his eyes her way and immediately bit his tongue, catching sight of Lily's downcast, sad eyes. Even _he_ felt his comment was a bit brutal given her uncharacteristic somber mood.

"Yeah," Lily affirmed, jumping off of her rock. "We should get going and let the others know, too."

Seeing she was relatively unaffected by his rudeness, he resumed his usual, harsh manner of speaking: "Then hurry up." He looked around and made a face. "I'm tired of this place." But he spoke in a softer tone now, revealing his melancholy discontentment for where they stood. Bishop was more interested in leaving to escape the place that gave the party so many unpleasant memories rather than because he was happy to head back to the Keep or something stupid like that.

With only a nod, the rest of the group began making their way back to Crossroad Keep, Lily leading the line with a discouraged, wistful expression.


	2. Chapter 2

* 2 * 2/22/13

On the way back, there was hardly any conversation. Bishop led the rest of the group; no one else had the energy to pay attention to where they were going. A thoroughly exhausted look from Lily concerned Casavir, though since he likely knew why she was feeling down, he didn't ask. Khelgar hadn't made a peep either; his eyes were focused hard on the ground and seemingly nothing could break his concentration. Ammon Jerro was entirely ignored by the party.

Before an hour had passed, Bishop put his hand behind him to bring the others to a halt. "Wait." He himself waited a few seconds. Then: "We're not alone."

Finally, Khelgar broke his silence. "Great, we can' even get back in peace." Truth be told, though, he was always armed and ready for a fight, even in such dark moments. Maybe this is what he needed to brighten his mood a little.

"What's there, Bishop?" Lily asked in a whisper.

"I don't know, but I've heard this noise before. Back in Jerro's compound." Ammon Jerro looked up at the mention of his name, then attuned his ears to try and hear what Bishop heard.

"The succubi followed us," he explained bitterly.

"Did you not have them under your control?" Casavir inquired.

"Ah, they hated me. Took any chance they got to get my head on a platter. Blooden's not with them, though. You'd hear her shrill laugh by now if she was. The broad can never keep quiet when she thinks she has the upper hand."

Khelgar sniffed haughtily. This wouldn't be a very good de-stresser of a fight, then.

"This is stupid. Let's ambush them instead," Bishop suggested. The others agreed.

"Bunch of novices," Khelgar grumbled under his breath.

As if called, a succubus took advantage of her higher ground and launched herself down at the dwarf. A small army of her female friends did the same shortly afterward.

Lily caught one in the face with her staff, and laughed. It may not've been an entirely appropriate act given recent events, but she needed to let off some steam.

Bishop shot a cascade of arrows at incoming targets. He seemed to be enjoying himself, as his angry expression had been replaced with one of sadistic pleasure.

Khelgar slashed one across the midsection with his dwarven waraxe; a lethal blow. He was almost elated when he saw a handful of the succubi regrouping to team up on him.

Before they got very far, though, Lily hit them with a fireball. Khelgar guffawed and huffed. "Sorry, Khelgar!" she called, giggling. Maybe this was, in fact, more than appropriate precisely because of Shandra's death; it gave Lily a reason to feel powerful again, not helpless.

Witnessing Lily's fireball, one succubus performed a short kind of dance before throwing what looked like snowballs at the sun elf.

But they were hardly benign. As soon as the snow made contact with Lily, the elf felt a shearing coldness surge through her body. She began shivering uncontrollably and dropped to her knees, letting go of her staff in the process and crossing her arms over her chest for warmth.

Ammon Jerro cursed at the succubus and acted quickly to neutralize the snow with Devour Magic. The succubus, in turn, began focusing on him. Lily looked in his direction and allowed herself a small grin as she slowly regained a normal bodily temperature.

Casavir had been taking down succubi at a rate of a few per second for the past minute. When he was free of his last burden, he rushed to Lily's side and helped lift her from her kneeling position. He kept very close to her, both in an effort to help her regain warmth and to defend from any other creatures that lunged her way.

Ammon had dealt the last succubus a deadly blow of Vitriolic Blast before she collapsed to the ground in a broken heap with the others of her kind.

"Hmph, at least it was somethin'," Khelgar commented, overall disappointed with the short tussle. "A couple hundred more of 'em would be welcome, though!"

"I'm sure you'll get your share soon," Lily teased, making the dwarf scowl.

"You stole those from me!"

"I was protecting you. I forgot that you don't like that, though. Sorry!" she laughed.

Khelgar frowned. "Let's just keep movin'."

The party stepped over the bodies of the vengeful – and very dead – succubi and resumed their course to the Keep.


	3. Chapter 3

* 3 * 2/22/13

When the group had returned to the Keep, they wasted no time in informing everyone of the bad news. The Keep grew about a thousand times in sadness and tension alone in just a few minutes as Sand sighed, Neeshka cried, Qara looked outright offended, and Grobnar was heartbroken. Elanee and Zhjaeve were nonplussed, but both wore frowns.

The gnome's expression pained Lily. "Aw, Grobnar..." She couldn't think of anything to say.

"I just don't understand how this happened," he said sadly.

The evening continued on a solemn note, with friends going back to their bedchambers disheartened. Lily stayed up a bit longer than the others, distressed.

"I wish I could've predicted it, Shandra..."

She looked lazily at the burning flame of a candle in her room.

"But how could I have known?"

After blaming herself for a few more minutes, she put the candle out and tried to fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

* 4 * 4/6/12, 4/11/12

The morning finally came, after a night that seemed to last forever. Lily woke up almost in tears, but quickly straightened herself out and moved to join the others in the main hall, but a sudden knock at the door surprised her.

"Come in," she called.

Casavir opened the door. "Forgive me for entering, my lady, but I wanted to check on you."

"I'm doing okay, I suppose. I don't feel too great, though," Lily admitted.

He nodded in understanding. "My lady", he started on a lighter note, "your hair is covered in snowflakes." Casavir felt a small grin tug at the corner of his lips.

"Oh!" she laughed, beaming at his gentle expression. She began picking them out of her hair and gazing at each one of them in her palm of her hand with a smile before they melted in contact with her warm skin. It was beautiful and lasting magical snow, something those of Neverwinter never really got a chance to see much.

Casavir was frozen and couldn't help but stare in awe. He felt like saying something after witnessing this gentle and touching display. "My lady, I..."

"Hm?" Lily said, looking up into his face with a curious expression. With a mischievous smirk, she lifted a single, small snowflake carefully upward to his cheek and pushed it onto his skin, melting it.

Casavir cracked his stone visage with a humorous smile at this, raising a finger to wipe the cold moisture off. He caught her eye and stood staring back down at her, feeling his cheeks go from cold to hot.

Just that moment, Bishop broke through the door, a strained expression staining his features.

"Don't think too much about it, but there's an army of women headed our way."

Casavir straightened and shook his previous thoughts off almost immediately at the sight of the ranger, though only incredibly reluctantly.

"What? Only women? That could mean..."

Bishop cut him off. "I said **don't** think, because you don't know how dead wrong you are!"

Shortly after Bishop closed his mouth, a girl bowled him over from behind. By the time he got back to his feet, there were three girls in the doorway. A menacing and incredulous look overcame his features as he stared daggers back up at them.

"Casavir!" the first girl screamed.

Dumbstruck, Casavir stared back and could only muster a "...Yes?" These women were clearly not part of the ruthless army of demons he was expecting. The ranger got to his feet and began brushing himself off.

"Oh, it _is_ you! Goodie!" they shouted in glee.

The girls turned to face Lily. "And hello, Knight Captain! It's such an honor to meet you. We've heard a lot about your team! I must say, though, that you're really lucky to have such a handsome knight guard you so loyally!"

Bishop rolled his eyes and let himself out of the room.

"Handsome?" Lily considered. She eyed Casavir's face. He stiffened after catching her gaze for a mere moment. His eyes shifted back to the intruders, but it was obvious his countenance had changed. "I suppose so," she granted.

"Anyway, we'll get to the point: we've been searching for a paladin because your kind can easily dispose of the undead that haunt our village," she explained to Casavir, then turned back to Lily. "Do you think we'd be able to take him away from you for a bit?"

Lily's eyes narrowed curiously. "Just him?"

Casavir answered, "Zhjaeve would be of great use, but she has been in a heated debate with Sand in the library since this morning." He focused back on the girls, his mind seemingly have been cleared. "Very well; if you enlist my help, then so be it. Where is your village?"

"It's over to the southwest, by Highcliff. Are you able to come now?"

"Yes." He glanced once at Lily before leaving, and to his surprise, she was staring directly back at him. He shifted his gaze. She seemed to have a pleasant expression, so he couldn't understand why he was feeling a sudden sinking in the pit of his stomach.


	5. Chapter 5

* 5 * 4/7/12

"Hey."

"Hey," the Leader returned, turning toward the serious-faced ranger.

"So, what'd the paladin have to say? Came to vow he'd never leave you, or maybe that he'll protect you until his moral and honorable corpse is covered in maggots?"

Lily gave him a dirty look. "Calm down, Bishop. I wouldn't imagine you care anyway."

"You're right, I don't. _But_ I am tired of seeing him make puppy dog faces at you. It makes me sick, really."

"Fine. The next time we battle, I won't bring you both along at the same time. Better?" Before he had a chance to answer, she walked off toward the wall mirror to examine her circlet. Bishop's dour face reflected back at her.

He looked very gravely at her for a few seconds, but she paid him no mind.

"Hmph. You're a real ass when you want to be."

Finally she looked at him, albeit through the mirror. "Bishop, kindly get out of my quarters if you have nothing else to say."

"Gladly, _princess_," he sneered. He started to storm out in a huff before catching himself and walking stoically out the door.


	6. Chapter 6

* 6 * 4/8/12

As Casavir came upon what seemed to be the women's village - though there was no damage to be seen as of yet - the sinking in his stomach grew. He couldn't understand what made him feel so uneasy, until he stopped before setting foot inside the village and gazed inside. There appeared to be ruins, very out-of-place ruins at that; the rest of the visible plane seemed in near-perfect shape.

"Is this...?"

"Where they razed the village? Yep."

Why was she speaking so nonchalantly about it?

"There's a demon in the midst of those ruins that's been working with a necromancer." She sighed. "Between the fires and the undead, we haven't been able to rest well at night, and we're all very weak and exhausted..."

Casavir eyed her. She was...pouting?

"Will you please rid us of them? We'd like to get back to our safe, warm beds and not have to worry about sleeping alone..."

"What is their number? I assume there aren't many, given that you asked for my aid alone."

"Oh no, no, not many at all. There are only about six undead left along with the demon and the necromancer. The rest our townsmen were able to dispose of before getting slaughtered."

"I see. I'm sorry for your loss. They shall not harm you any longer."

The women grinned and their eyes brightened. "Thank you, Holy One."

"There is no need for such titles. I will return when it is finished." Casavir ran off into the fray, but not before casting Bless and Regenerate on himself. He wasn't entirely sure what kind of undead he was up against, be they casters or fighters, but the numbers didn't sound too different from the masses he would tank while traveling with his Leader. He let his thoughts drift off for just one moment, and when his vision cleared he saw a Shadow Priest casting Circle of Death while pointing his finger directly toward the paladin.

"Agh!" He leapt far to the left, hitting the ground and dragging his silver armor through the mud. The spell was avoided, however, and he abruptly rose back to his feet. He composed himself quickly, lest he get distracted again. Recalling that the women had mentioned six undead, he considered that this lone priest might be a lure to get him to come closer to the wide opening in the ruins. He stood his ground, choosing instead to cast healing spells at a distance as offense.

Just then, the demon he had been warned of appeared in front of him, absorbing the heal. A quick slash of blood in the eyes was all it took to blind the paladin temporarily. He stumbled back and furiously tried to blink away the red. He was surprised not to be attacked during this time, and when he finally regained his vision, he partly understood why.

Blooden stood before him, the demon who had mercilessly defaced and embarrassed him before the eyes of his Leader. He scowled.

"Now, now, Holy One, don't get so emotional." Casavir heard a sound from behind him, and when he looked over his shoulder, the innocent women were nowhere to be found; instead, their facial features were beginning to horribly disfigure into something far more sinister and unclean, starting with their teeth, and ending with their bosoms. Three succubi gradually took the women's place. They began pacing toward him.

So it _had_ been a trap.

"Did you miss us?" Blooden oozed in a succulent and sultry voice, but Casavir only grimaced.

"What do you want? We have already set you free. Leave us alone."

"Actually, _Shandra_ set me free, the silly girl. And you speak as if you have your little friends with you."

She was right. He had gotten used to being in a group with his companions. When it was time for him to fight, he almost didn't remember how without getting some buffs from his Leader or teaming up at the front lines with Khelgar. But he wouldn't call himself alone defenseless, either.

"I am plenty enough to take care of you. You simply surprised me. State your business now or I'll finish you and return to my companions." He wasn't accustomed to being so cutting, but he had already run out of patience with Blooden only a few minutes after meeting her the first time.

"Oh, wouldn't that be nice? Then you'd be able to ogle your wonderful, noble leader, waiting for her to tire so you could watch her sleep _so_ very peacefully, daydreaming that you're the reason she feels safe at night and that she might eventually call you in..."

"SILENCE! You insult me, make me sound like I am a creature of nothing but lust!"

"So that's _not_ the reason you follow her so loyally? You don't wish even a little to be asked into her bedroom?"

Casavir made to retort, but was suddenly struck by Solipsism. He didn't know where it came from or who had cast it, but while somewhere in the back of his head he was aware that it was just a spell, he still couldn't break away from the thought that everything before him was just an illusion. He stood still.

"Tell me, Brave One, wouldn't you accept if she entreated you?"

"I..." Casavir faltered.

"...She wouldn't..." He found himself responding to the very thing he thought unreal. The spell couldn't have been that powerful, just something to loosen his lips. At the very least, however, it was going to hold him for awhile longer.

"Oh, but she would. Let me show you just _how_ she would, in fact. But first, let's go someplace more...private." The next second, Casavir felt himself lose focus entirely, spinning, spinning...


	7. Chapter 7

* 7 * 4/8/12

Crossroad Keep was quiet, almost silent. Sand and Zhjaeve were still in the library with Aldanon, but the rest had gathered in the main hall to eat.

Khelgar's sudden, booming voice startled the others: "Alright, it's time we get out of here, my muscles are aching for a good stretchin'."

Qara spoke up next, "The dwarf's right; we haven't seen action in days."

Grobnar looked amiss. "What? We have somewhere to go? Did I miss the assigning of a quest? Well, I suppose that wouldn't be unexpected since I've been holed up like a hermit in the basement for a fortnight. Why, I'd actually contend that it'd be more of a surprise if I _did_ hear what was going on!"

Qara stood up. "Alright, we're definitely out of here. You can tell it's a lazy day when Grobnar is able to finish his prattling with no interruptions."

Lily considered. "Well, we've just been waiting on Aldanon to finish...whatever that lovable old bat plans on doing to locate the King of Shadows. I suppose we could go find some more ore veins or something."

Bishop rolled his eyes. "Have we really been reduced to doing a peasant's work? Count me out," he proclaimed harshly, disgust thickening his voice.

"Has anyone seen Casavir lately?" Elanee interrupted, making heads turn.

The ranger snorted, "No. Is there a problem with that?" His outburst was ignored.

"I haven't seen him since a day or so ago. I just assumed he was holed up in the room with you," Ammon added, facing Lily.

Bishop laughed. "If he had been, we would know; she would be sporting a halo and wings and bending over for Tyr by now."

"Bishop, would you **shut up**?!" Lily exploded.

"Why? Oh, I see. The truth embarrasses you, doesn't it?" He smirked.

She marched over to him and gave him a hard slap across the face. He barely recoiled, but was nonetheless shocked, looking straight back at her. When he fully regained his composure, he was grinning, eyes locked on hers, only a mere foot away. Lily huffed.

Silence emanated through the room for a few moments, only to be broken once again by Khelgar trying to draw attention away from the two:

"Where's the old lad gotten off to, do you think? It'll be strange not having him beside me at the front ranks."

After cooling down a little, Lily chimed in, "He was helping some girls rid their village of undead stalkers. It was a solo quest, I guess, because they only enlisted _his_ help." She stopped and thought. "Come to think of it, that was probably a bad idea, letting him go alone."

Khelgar looked puzzled. "Why? He can take care of himself from what I've seen, and I don't think some measly undead warriors could give a paladin too much trouble."

"It's not that. It's that the ones who wanted his help were basically his raving fan girls. It was kind of funny to watch. I wouldn't be surprised if they kidnapped him, given the crazed look on their faces when they saw him."

"Casavir has fan girls?" Neeshka almost squealed in delight. "I wish I could've seen _that_!"

The conversation seemed due for a snarky comment by Bishop, but none was heard. He was staring at Lily with an odd look in his eye, one no one in the room had ever seen from him. Just as they began to notice, though, the look disappeared, and his mouth shifted back to a conniving and challenging grin.

But no matter. Elanee decided, "Someone should probably look for him instead of hunting for resources. Pentin will be okay for ore for now."

"In that case, I'll catch the next trip out. I'm not really in the mood for babysitting a grown man," proclaimed Qara, sitting back down and poking at her food.

"Heck, even if this wasn't about Cas, I'd still take any excuse to get my blood pumpin' instead of sittin' around here wasting away!" Khelgar enthused.

Neeshka agreed. "I'll totally go. Wherever we're going, there might be some good loot, and I'm dying to get out of here for awhile anyway. My skills are getting rusty."

"No need to bother Zhjaeve and Sand for this mission with a full party, then, I suppose. I'll be with them, trying to decipher what Aldanon throws their way. I speak Old Man." Ammon winked. When the rest of the group merely guffawed, he shook his head with a frown and walked off to the library.

"I will say that I'm out as well. I was curious where he's gone, but I'd rather stay and talk with Kistrel. He seems like he'd have some interesting stories," Elanee mused.

"He's also a _gigantic spider_." Bishop had returned from his silence. "Anyway, I guess I could use the exercise. I agree, I feel cooped up being in here all the time. A real man's domain is outside depressing stone walls."

"What about you, Grobnar?" Lily asked.

Grobnar shook his head while talking. "I'm sorry, but I don't feel comfortable leaving the Construct yet. I think I'd also like a little time to myself to think...some recent events over."

Lily nodded. "I understand. The four of us, then. We won't have as much up-front support, but I trust we'll be strong enough anyway."

"You know, I do know how to use other weapons besides bows," came Bishop's sarcastic reply.

"That'd be nice."

Bishop gave her a look. "Give me Lorne's old falchion," he commanded. Khelgar handed it over from his holding bag.

"The village was southwest, not too far from Westcliff," explained their Leader while casting Haste on the entire party.

"Woohoo! Alright then, guys, we're off to hunt for some treasure!" Neeshka exclaimed excitedly.

"And a paladin," Lily reminded her.


	8. Chapter 8

* 8 * 4/8/12

Casavir didn't know where he was. He seemed to be kneeling in a submissive position, but he was still outfitted with his weapons and armor, something that he didn't make sense to him. He looked around, but he couldn't see anything. He didn't know if that was the work of a spell or if he was really just in complete darkness. He waited for a few seconds, seeing and hearing nothing, but not wanting to call attention to himself in case he wasn't alone. It was eerie.

Then, as if someone had flipped a switch, he could see again. It _had_ been a spell, he realized, because he had suddenly regained his hearing as well. It was a pity the first thing that reawakened his senses was _her_.

Blooden.

"You've come to, I see. Good," the monstrous being oozed.

"Where have you taken me?" the paladin demanded.

"Why, I believe you already know," she cooed.

Casavir looked around. She was right, but that didn't make sense. This looked like the room with one of the six summoning circles used to strengthen Ammon Jerro. Casavir was sure this place had collapsed when the demons had broken free after Shandra's sacrifice.

"Your eyes do not deceive you...anymore, at least." She grinned. "This is indeed where you and your little friends were when we first met not too long ago. Most of this place has crumbled in on itself, but my miserable little hovel here was nearly untouched. How fortunate for me," she scathed.

"Then why have you brought me here if you disdain this place so much?" Suddenly, the paladin heard growling behind him.

"Ah, just in time. You remember those lovely little hell hounds I asked your beloved Leader to have sent my way?"

Casavir stared at them, saw that their ferocious faces were all turned toward him.

"It seems their master forgot about them. How bored they must be; they've been stuck here, probably without a thing to eat except that miserable woman's corpse." He could hear the sick smile in her voice. "Oh, they don't fight at their best when they're hungry, you see. My succubi have been winning every battle, and that's no fun."

Casavir got to his feet and prepared to fight them all at once. There was nothing else he could do. It didn't ease his mind that his friends probably had no idea where he was, either, but he wasn't afraid. He just had to fight them off until he could figure out a way to get out of here.

Hopefully there still _was_ a way out.


	9. Chapter 9

* 9 * 4/8/12

After asking around the Westcliff area for what seemed like ages, the group finally thought they had an idea of which village Casavir was at. The time they'd spent was not a complete waste, however; Neeshka managed to find quite a few valuable items and some gold when she went astray in several of the abandoned villages they'd passed through. Lily didn't even want to know if the tiefling had pawned them from chests, or from corpses.

It seemed that only a handful of people had caught a glimpse of a tall paladin warrior traveling with three women, and oddly enough, everything pointed to a village slightly off in the distance from whence no smoke or noticeable signs of destruction seemed to come. Bishop was especially disturbed by this, since he recalled Lily telling the party that the undead had _burned_ some of the women's village down.

Something didn't seem quite right, which was all the more reason to find out what that was, given their friend was probably right in the center of it all.

"Just a little bit longer," Lily encouraged.

"I feel like my legs are going to fall off," Neeshka whined.

Khelgar was stern. "If you want to stay here, that's fine. At least now we have a solid lead, and we ain't waitin' any longer where there's nothin' to fight."

"This feels like some stupid backwards fairytale. Let's just get this over with and save the knight in shining armor," Bishop added, sarcasm filling his voice to the brim.

Neeshka sighed. "Fine, fine, let's go."

They moved toward the forest yet again. At least this time their destination was in sight, and Bishop would be able to tell them if they were headed in the right direction.

It seemed odd traveling without the paladin, like a trusty and silvery piece of the puzzle simply wasn't there. Lily felt especially off not having Casavir behind her _(**Ceye's note**: If your character is female, Casavir will always protect you by coming to stand right behind you in the marching order, even after falling far behind. Check the game to see what I mean!). _They all made a good team regardless, but Bishop's main proficiency was with a bow; he didn't seem to be very comfortable up in the front ranks. Besides, all he seemed to be doing was compete with Khelgar for kills, something Casavir never did, even though he was much better at it than the ranger.

Lily cast Haste on the party again, eager to get to the next village and recover the integral part of their team. She also admittedly wanted to go on missions that required less anxiety when it came to her friends' health, where the only time she'd be separated from a teammate was when they were temporarily hurt on the field.

They made good time with their speed buff, and there weren't that many creatures down this path from what they could see. Before they knew it, they had entered a clearing not too far from the village. They looked around. It seemed to be awfully quiet, too quiet for a place surrounded by forestry and wild animals.

Just then, a few women came forth out of the half-burnt, half-perfectly-intact village. It was them!

"Hey!" Lily called out. "What happened to Casavir?"

They ignored her. The middle one seemed to be mumbling something under her breath, and Bishop leaned in to try to hear her better.

Without warning, a swirling vortex suddenly hurled itself toward Lily. She could only gape her mouth in surprise before being engulfed by it. Where she, and it, had been, a kind of portal had opened, one that looked slightly familiar.

"Leader!" Khelgar shouted. He started angrily toward the women, intending to dispatch the source of the spell, but he saw three arrows in rapid succession sail past him and into the women's hearts, aided by Lily's Haste. As the three crumbled to ash, their transforming flesh betrayed what they really were.

"Succubi!" Khelgar grit his teeth and was about to curse, but just then Bishop ran across his field of vision and into the swirling portal. The dwarf's mouth hung open for only a second before he ambled after the ranger.

"Oh, _really_?! Now we're going into creepy portals?" Neeshka wailed. She watched them for a few moments before whining, "Don't leave me behind, guys!" She too followed Bishop, and the warp closed behind them.


	10. Chapter 10

* 10 * 4/8/12

Casavir was covered in blood and extremely exhausted. He seemed to have obliterated the wolves' ranks, but he wasn't confident that there weren't more, so he didn't allow himself to get too overjoyed.

"Well done, well done, bravo, my dear!" Blooden was so excited he thought she would applaud him. He'd take his warhammer to her mocking face if he had any strength left. After sufficient time had passed, he took a risk and turned to face her, a look of absolute, yet tired, disgust staining his features.

Blooden tsked. "Now, now, don't look at me like that. You know you've had plenty of fun, too, smashing hell's demons with that hammer of yours. Isn't that what paladins enjoy most?"

"You believe what we enjoy most is killing? Have you any understanding of our kind?"

"I understand that you're foolish for desiring one with whom you're not meant to be," the demoness countered, changing the subject.

"Do not speak of her. I do not desire her in the way you think."

"Oh, you don't, do you?"

The paladin's mind suddenly grew even wearier. Something was happening to him, but he wasn't sure if it was Blooden's influence or because he was realizing how exhausted he was now that he was no longer fighting.

"No." The word took an inordinate amount of effort to get out.

The succubus smirked. "Such resistance is unnecessary. Come closer."

He felt his feet lift one by one off the ground and move toward her, but he was too exhausted to stop them. He could only think of sleep, sweet sleep, and Lily's restful face...

No, Blooden's face...

Who was he kidding? He wanted her. She was beautiful, and she had shown far more interest in him than he'd experienced from their Leader. There was something about her that drew him toward her, closer and closer, until they were face to face. He was a bit taller than her, but his newly-acquired limp made him sink a few inches beneath the top of her head.

"There, there, that's not so bad, now, is it?"

"No, stop... I... I do not..."

She cupped his face with her hand and pulled him closer. The next second, her lips were on his.

It felt as if all bonds on him were broken, as if he was acting of his own free will again. He melted into her kiss, savored the sweet taste of her lips and the feel of them against his own. He pushed his own back into hers, eager to taste mutual passion again.

It had been a long time.

Suddenly, he felt her smile against his mouth, and he opened his eyes, following her gaze. He gasped.

There stood Lily, her mouth hanging open, horrified.

The rest of the party was there, but Casavir did not see them. She stood there for a few moments, as did he, and they shared a pained look that seemed to last for eternity.

Suddenly, she turned around and began running in the opposite direction. Away from him.

Lily's retreat broke his mind truly free. "_Wait_, my lady!" he shouted, fierce panic washing over him. He tried to push away from the seductress, but she held him fast.

"We weren't finished yet!" she howled with a nefarious smile, like a vampire about to drain its most succulent meal. Her face grew even more wretched.

Casavir's eyes were flaring with anger and worry, but his body simply didn't have the strength to loosen itself, no matter how much he wanted to.

Bishop threw him a malevolent smirk, then started running after Lily. Casavir's blood boiled. He knew in that moment that he hated Blooden, and he hated Bishop.

Neeshka's eyes were wide with surprise, but she and Khelgar both worked fast to rid him of Blooden. The succubus was so focused on keeping control over her toy that she failed to properly dodge a blow from Khelgar's dwarven waraxe, a fatal mistake. She screamed, her voice wrought with deafening agony. She crumpled in a heap on the ground, as did Casavir. He fainted on the spot.


	11. Chapter 11

* 11 * 4/8/12

Lily was running. She didn't know why and she didn't know how long it had been, but she didn't care. Her speed was no match for Bishop's though, and he caught up to her quickly. He grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing running blindly in a torn-apart temple of evil, you idiot?"

She sniffed defiantly. "I could ask you the same!"

"What do you mean? You're not really _that_ dense, are you? I'm going after you."

That stopped her in her tracks, and she visibly faltered. "You're _what_?"

"I'm stopping you from doing something stupid, like miss a crag and fall into a hole or something. You have no idea how many times you came close to doing just that."

She ripped her arm from his grasp. He could see the confused expression on her face, could see her lip tremble the slightest bit. "What does it matter? Why do you act like you care?"

"Because it'd be stupid for us to go after one teammate and lose another in the process? The morale at the Keep would be shot, _not_ to mention that we four'd probably have to take the blame. I don't think putting a stop to the King of Shadows would be easy after that, split trust and all."

She hmphed, but was silent otherwise. She put her arms back to her sides and tried to think clearly, but all she could see was that kiss. Casavir _had_ been taken in by her beauty.

Bishop looked Lily in the eye, and immediately, she burst out crying. He gasped, but his cold eyes softened.

Lily cried and cried. It felt like she was crying about more than just what happened today - she mourned her village, her innocence, her younger days without backbreaking responsibility - and the physical act actually felt pretty good. The emotions swirling around in her head right now, though, did not. She felt thoroughly miserable, and she drew her arms closer to herself for comfort.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her.

Bishop embraced her, pulling her close.

There was a heavy moment of silence. Then:

"It sucks, I know..." He wasn't talking just about what happened today, either.

Lily was surprised, but she only wept harder. Now she had some physical comfort, though, and it helped her release better. Bishop settled his head on top of her hair and looked down at the ground, feeling her tremble against his chest.

After a few minutes, Neeshka and Khelgar emerged, Casavir hanging over the dwarf's shoulder. The smaller carrying the larger seemed out of place, but the show was not entirely unbelievable, given Khelgar's strength was through the roof. Had Casavir been awake, though, he would've leapt to his feet and strangled Bishop, even given his exhausted state.

Neeshka gaped at the two of them, but for once, said nothing. Khelgar shook his head solemnly, eyes closed, fearing there was a lot more fighting to come once Casavir awoke. He wasn't oblivious to what was going on, but he preferred to distance himself from it and have as little involvement as possible. That didn't seem to be very likely this time, given he had witnessed everything that had happened, and there would be questions when he got back. He wasn't so certain he'd let anyone know anything, however; this was a private matter.

Bishop either hadn't noticed they were there - which was unlikely - or didn't care, for he didn't turn to face them. They all stood in place, like a depressed artist's still life, waiting for someone _else_ to make the first move and break the silence.

But it was awhile before anyone did, so Neeshka and Khelgar were left to take in the scene and wait, and Lily was left in Bishop's arms.


	12. Chapter 12

* 12 * 4/8/12

The Keep was bustling and yet quiet at the same time, depending where you looked. Those who hadn't gone to Ammon Jerro's Haven were pleased to see everyone reunited and unharmed and were chattering away, except the more dour Qara and Sand, but even the stoic spellcasters cracked their stone faces with a grin.

Ammon himself was amazed that the party had been able to escape his haven for a _second_ time, but apparently the portals that were used to foil him had remained extant, waiting only for one of their former controllers to open them. Blooden had done just that, though no details had been revealed as to what exactly had happened when they had confronted her; nothing that added up, anyway. As far as he knew, Khelgar had smashed her face in and she had died instantly, but that didn't explain the now stark animosity between some of his new friends, which was even stronger than it had been before.

Casavir was awake with his hand to his forehead, his wounds being treated by Zhjaeve. His mind still hadn't recovered, however; he couldn't remember any time in his recent past that he had been ridden with so much guilt, and so much hostility at the same time, feelings on which paladins were not supposed to linger for so long.

He did not know precisely what Bishop had run after Lily for, but he had an idea. That sick smirk he had given the paladin only confirmed it. He guessed that the ranger had taken Casavir's grave mistake as an opportunity to get closer to their Leader, to get ahead because of his own screw-up. He wasn't one hundred percent certain of it, but he wasn't about to ask Lily directly what had happened. She didn't seem to be talking to him, or even worse, acknowledging him at all. He felt terrible. Normally he would take solace in wondering how she could be so bothered unless she really cared about him, but having her so thoroughly upset with him was spirit-breaking. He had no idea how to make her see reason; then again, what was there to see? He had been caught kissing a _demon_ of all things. Why shouldn't she be upset?

His brain offered a few reasons, including that it wasn't entirely his fault, but he pushed them aside with haste. He had no use for scapegoats. Ultimately, it had been his own weakness that had made him fall for the succubus's charms.

"Know that it is not your doing."

Casavir looked weakly up at the form beside him in the midst of chiding himself.

Zhjaeve continued, "Succubi are perverse, ruthless creatures. Know that even your enemy, Bishop, would have fallen for the same trap."

Casavir nearly slammed his fist down on the table, but he caught himself just in time. "But I am **not** Bishop!" Speaking his very name filled the paladin with rage. "I am not anything _like_ him, that disgusting dog of a man!" he shouted, but quickly shut his lips. He wasn't usually prone to outbursts like that, but recent events had tested his patience and taken it to its limit.

When he had calmed down, he asked worriedly but quietly, "How did you find out?"

"I have my sources. Do not forget that I am one of great age, and have seen many things. Know that I will not tell anyone what happened, and that I do not blame you. I'm sure Lily does not blame you either, even though that does not at this moment seem to be true." Zhjaeve caught his gaze. "Know that she came in to check on you while you were still asleep."

Casavir wanted to brighten up at this, but couldn't. He did nothing but hold his head in his hands as his wounds slowly closed. After a few minutes, Zhjaeve began to bandage them.

When she was finished, the Githyanki cleric offered a piece of advice: "Let her think on it awhile." She left the room, leaving the paladin alone with his thoughts.

Not being able to stand his own head anymore, he wandered bravely out into the main hall, coming face to face with the rest of his friends all at once.

All of them but two, at least.


	13. Chapter 13

* 13 * 4/8/12, 4/11/12

"Casavir!" Elanee exclaimed. He had barely spoken to any of them since he returned. "We're glad you're all right."

"It's good to have you back, lad," Khelgar added with a smile on his face that seemed to be genuine. Casavir allowed himself a small grin. It would be nice fighting alongside Khelgar again.

"I'm glad you're feeling all right. At least, I think you are. You never know, you have been through a lot lately," Neeshka rambled.

"I appreciate the concern," was Casavir's somewhat abrupt response. He hoped the others didn't ask Neeshka to explain what precisely she meant any further.

"So now we're all here. Assuming everyone else is up for it, I say we celebrate tonight. It's been years since I've let my hair down," Ammon stated matter-of-factly.

Everyone stared at him in silence.

Ammon huffed. "For being so young, you all are an uptight bunch." Most of those in the room rolled their eyes, but of those who did, Qara put them all to shame. She and Sand looked pleased at Casavir's return, but said nothing. Zhjaeve only nodded at him.

Bishop stood in the corner, leaning against the wall with his arms folded, expressionless. Casavir didn't even look at him. He'd deal with the moody ranger later.

He was unsure he should ask given the fragile circumstances, but he couldn't help himself: "Where's our Leader?"

"She's in the basement with Grobnar. She's feeling pretty down, though. I don't know if she'd want to see you," came another of Neeshka's naively blunt proclamations.

The others looked puzzled for a moment, but Casavir was yet again quick to the draw: "You're right, it might not be best to remind her of a friend's wounds. But I think she would be pleased to know that I have healed." He wasn't outright lying, but he didn't entirely feel like he was speaking the truth, either. He hoped that would at least temporarily shut Neeshka up.

As he made his way to the basement, hoping the ranger wouldn't follow him, the tiefling's words echoed in his mind.

_"She's feeling pretty down, though. I don't know if she'd want to see you."_

He grit his teeth. How was he going to get her to talk to him again? Zhjaeve advised to just give her time, but time would also give her more opportunity to think of what happened and get upset all over again. He had to clear the air, somehow. He had to try.

He was about to open the door to the room with the Construct, and likely where Lily and Grobnar were, when their voices confirmed their whereabouts.

"I know it's not much, but you've looked so sad that I felt I had to do something!" Grobnar exclaimed, but with discernible concern in his voice. A short silence followed, in which the paladin imagined Grobnar was giving her something.

"Thank you so much, really." Casavir could hear the pleasure in her voice before it faded to sadness again mere seconds later. "Grobnar?"

"Yes, Lily?" he answered.

"Did you know anything of Shandra's personal life, like if she had feelings for anyone, or anything?"

Casavir couldn't see through the door, but he felt like some of the air had just left the surrounding area. This was a subject that was near and dear to both of them.

"No, I barely knew anything about her. Which makes me feel bad now, of course, but one never expects these things, I guess!" he reminisced, obviously trying to keep the mood light despite his own low spirits.

Casavir slowly opened the door in the silence that followed, intending to come inside and put an end to his secrecy, but just then he saw Lily hang her head. She was sitting on top of a crate, looking at the floor.

"I never got the chance to ask her things like that." She shook her head. "No, that's not correct. I did have the chance, but I never sat down with her and really talked that way."

"We all have our regrets, but regrets are silly, don't you think?" He looked at her earnestly, and for the first time in Casavir's memory of him, Grobnar didn't trail off, or seem to be paying attention to anything except what was right in front of him.

Lily smiled. "Yes, yes they are; you're right. I just think her advice and experience would have been helpful, but who knows? Maybe she was no more experienced than I am." She got to her feet, and at that moment, Casavir came in.

Lily's face fell, and Grobnar noticed. He seemed to be torn between two things, and Casavir could only guess as to what they were. He wasn't entirely sure the bard knew the details of what had happened; this seemed to be more a question to Grobnar of whether or not he should leave her alone with someone she appeared to be upset with. After a few moments' consideration, he acted as if he had just then seen the paladin enter. "Oh! Nice to see you're feeling well. If you don't mind, I've got to be getting back to, well, fixing up the Construct! And reading this book on how to operate him!" He lifted the book as if to emphasize his point, then opened it and pretended to read. "Yes, this all makes very much sense now!"

"Very well. My lady, do you mind if I speak with you in private?"

She looked at him for only a moment with her arms crossed before storming off. Grobnar looked after her apologetically, as if he'd made the wrong choice.

Casavir looked at the gnome. "That...was my fault, I'm sorry." Sighing, he walked back up to the main hall.


	14. Chapter 14

* 14 * 4/9/12

When Casavir resurfaced on the top floor, most of the hall had cleared out, except for a few stragglers. Neeshka noticed him first.

"Oh, you're back! How'd she take you interrupting her conversation? I didn't think that would go so well."

Neeshka had answered her own question, but Casavir replied anyway: "She does not wish to speak with me."

"I figured. She seemed to be really upset about that kiss; I thought nothing would be able to settle her down before we stumbled upon Bishop holding her. She looked at least a little bit better then, but she cried for for_ever_!"

Casavir guffawed, his mouth falling open.

_Smack!_ Khelgar had slapped his hand against his forehead and was gritting his teeth.

"He _what_?!" the paladin managed to sputter at last. So _that's_ what the ranger had been up to. He felt sick to his stomach.

Neeshka straightened up, and her tail stopped moving. "Ohhhh. Did I say _holding_? I meant _hitting_. Er, well, I guess that doesn't really make sense, unless she's one of those types that likes that kind of thing, but I don't think I'd take her for one..."

Khelgar stayed silent, just shaking his head back and forth. Casavir looked like he had just taken one of Bishop's arrows right to his still-tender chest wound. He looked dejectedly at the ground, his stomach swelling up inside his throat.

As if he didn't want to deal the damned ranger enough pain already. His brow furrowed.

But even more than he was angry, he felt wistful. She had been upset, crying even, and who better to comfort her than the rival of the one who had made her sad?

He wondered how far Bishop had pushed the gesture, had taken advantage of her moment of weakness. His eyes narrowed and he left the two standing there, wide-eyed and not knowing what to do next.

He had to confront Bishop and find out just what he'd done.


	15. Chapter 15

* 15 * 4/9/12

The inn was nearly empty. Bishop had decided to take a room to himself and was sipping on a tankard of ale with his legs kicked up on a table when he heard the clinking of unnecessarily heavy and likely unbearably shiny silver armor at the entrance. He turned his head.

Bishop decided to play his game and meet him outside in the main room. He set his tankard down on the table and grabbed his falchion.

Sure enough, the paladin was waiting for him.

"Well, well, what a surprise to see you, the Admirable One, ambling in here all entitled and self-righteous. Let me guess, you want to damn me to hell and, oh, let's not forget tear my every limb from my body. Or did you want to kiss _me_, too?" he chuckled.

"Damn you, ranger, you know _exactly_ how that happened."

"What I know doesn't matter. Nor do I care. I'm not the one you have to reason with after what you did. But as far as I know, there's never been any favor there to rebuild, anyway," he finished nonchalantly.

That insinuation cut to Casavir's core. Certainly he didn't actually believe their Leader felt nothing at all toward the paladin. The bastard was just using those words to disconcert him, and Casavir had to admit it was working. He didn't feel entirely confident in himself since returning from Ammon Jerro's Haven the second time, but he wasn't about to become easy prey for the scoundrel in front of him.

"What exactly did you do back there, besides take my loss as an opportunity to gain her favor?"

"What did I _do_? Back off, Great One, you make it sound like I raped her. Yeah, I comforted her when you did something stupid. I didn't realize that was enough reason for the uptight knight police to hound me down."

Casavir stayed silent, staring with an exceedingly unkind expression at the unapologetic ranger. He wanted to grab him by the throat, sink his fingers into his jugular and squeeze out his meager existence.

Just then, Qara entered the tavern, presumably to tell them something. It took her no more than a split-second to figure out what was going on between them, despite not having been present at the Haven. "Um, I know you two hate each other and all, but you'd both look pretty stupid if you got in a fight the one night everyone's throwing a party for his health," she taunted, waving her head at Casavir.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Bishop answered, starting back toward his room, but holding his weapon at the ready as to be prepared in case he had any unwelcome company joining him.

Qara put on her hostile, matter-of-fact face. "She wants everyone there, including you, Bishop." Casavir growled.

Bishop stopped. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be there."

Casavir already wasn't planning on skipping the celebration, but now he definitely wouldn't. He was tired of feeling submissive, hopeless. It was time to take action, and tonight felt like no other to do it.


	16. Chapter 16

* 16 * 4/9/12

Lily was back in the basement talking with Grobnar. She had changed into a beautiful set of clothing for the party, one that made her feel more refined and was more fitting for a princess than for a knight captain. She hadn't told the gnome what had happened, but given he now knew who she was upset with, he could make a reasonable guess as to the parties involved.

Sand had joined them, finally having stepped outside of his personal black hole that was the library. Aldanon had driven him crazy with his endless rambling and imprecise wording surrounding a subject the rest of them considered to be pretty important - the King of Shadows - so he'd decided to take a break for the night. He didn't think it'd hurt to check on Lily, either, since she hadn't seemed to be in the best of spirits.

But out one trap and into another.

"I just know it was in here somewhere." Grobnar was flipping through a new book, one that had nothing to do with golems. "Oh! There it is! 'The Magical Accoutrements of Jazendry'. I love this song! It tells the tale of a woman who left her clothes out to dry one afternoon, and that night, they had gotten loose and were dancing to the music she played on her flute! Kind of a song within a song, if you think about it. I think I'll play this tonight! It fits the occasion just swell, don't you think?"

Lily was grinning from ear to ear, trying not to laugh, but she was failing miserably. The absent-minded bard was doing a good job of cheering her up, and she appreciated it greatly.

Grobnar caught a glimpse of her, looking to see if he was having any effect. His face lightened and he breathed a sigh of relief, pleased by her reaction. He was always happy to be able to cheer up those around him, especially Lily.

When their Leader had stopped laughing, Sand spoke up. "I believe it would be best for us to return to the main hall now. The workers should have finished preparations for the celebration."

"I'm not so sure I'm up for a party," Lily admitted.

"Nonsense, you'll miss the rest of Jazendry's story! I picked it out with you in mind!"

Lily chuckled. "You're right; I would be missing your song. I'll go then," she said with a warm smile. "After all, the most selfish thing one can do is bring others down with them."


	17. Chapter 17

* 17 * 4/9/12

Bishop sheathed his falchion as he made his way to the courtyard. The paladin was keeping his distance, but the amber-eyed ranger had seen him muster up a surprising amount of speed in combat for the seeming tons of armor he wore. He kept his guard up just in case he'd have the need to counter that alacrity.

When he neared the fort, he saw that the courtyard was already dressed up for the occasion, but no one else was there. He was surprised; for some reason he thought the later part of the celebration would take place inside. He brightened up a bit at the prospect of being able to lounge outside of cold stone walls for the remainder of the night. Maybe this party wouldn't be so bad after all.

The two entered the Keep, and a quick scan of the room told Bishop they were the last guests to arrive. Well, nearly the last ones at least; Lily still wasn't present. Bishop had barely stepped five feet into the room when he heard the armored boots behind him start to gain on his position. He looked to his right just in time to catch Casavir's determined expression as he marched off toward the right, presumably to Lily's room.

To the ranger's surprise, though, Casavir instead stopped in front of Elanee.

"Lady Elanee, I ask that you listen to me a moment. I want to be sure about something that is important to me. Would you do that?"

Elanee looked shocked that he should consult her before anyone else, given they were not very close. "Yes, sure. How can I help?"

"May we retreat to a more private location, perhaps the dining room? This concerns our Leader...as well as a terrible mistake I've made."

"Of course." Elanee had an idea of where this was going, and was eager to help, especially if it meant their Leader would be in tip-top shape again any sooner. A bothered Leader meant decreased moral for all of the team.

They walked from right to left across Bishop's field of vision, and he couldn't help but wonder what the paladin was up to; he hadn't been able to hear them from afar. He had more than half a mind to follow them and eavesdrop on their conversation, but there was no way even for him to sneak past so many seasoned warriors without detection; given he and the paladin's distaste for each other, the others would know instantly that he was up to no good.

So he waited, scheming how he'd circumvent Casavir's plans. If only he knew what they were...


	18. Chapter 18

* 18 * 4/11/12

Casavir told the druid the entire story, about everything that had happened with the succubi masquerading as women who needed his help, their queen Blooden, and...the kiss that Lily had witnessed.

Elanee was quiet for a few seconds. Then: "I hope you won't think I'm making light of the situation, but I must say what I believe will help you remedy all of this."

"If you'd please," Casavir encouraged.

"Just apologize to her, and do so without making excuses or placing blame, though I'm fairly certain you wouldn't do that anyway," she advised. "I don't believe your apology would make her think you are being presumptuous."

Casavir, after considering her words, let out a relieved sigh. "I was overthinking the situation, and wanted to make sure I would not make another terrible folly. However, speaking to you has confirmed my path; indeed a simple apology seems to be the best course of action. Thank you, Lady Elanee. I am in your debt."

Normally when someone said something about being indebted to another, Elanee figured it was more of an expression that emphasizes a "thank you" than a serious statement. However, she was fairly certain the noble paladin meant his words, and she felt the need to diffuse his debt before he took it too seriously. "No, please; I'm just glad I was able to help." She paused and considered. "I admit, though, that I am curious about something: I would like to know why you came to me with such a personal ailment rather than to one of the others."

Casavir nodded. "Very well. I felt a woman would be better to ask about what has happened, for reasons I'm sure you understand. However, I do not feel Qara would have the ability to listen to my plight without giving me sarcastic and unhelpful advice, and the tiefling has nearly let this rather personal information slip out to all of the others. And though I believe Shandra would have been a good choice for this discussion, she is sadly no longer available to advise anyone on anything."

"I understand, and am happy to be able to say something that you feel is helpful. I wish you the best of luck." She smirked very lightly. "I have to admit, I would rather our Leader get caught up with you than with the objectionable ranger; I do not trust him, or the way he looks at her," the druid explained.

Casavir nodded appreciatively. "I thank you for your support. As I am sure you are aware, I do not trust him either; I have met far too many of his kind on my travels to change that."

Suddenly a tune wafted its way to their ears. Grobnar had begun playing his lute.

"Shall we return?" asked the silver knight.

"Yes. I should go get Lily; everyone has gathered and the celebration is due to begin any minute now."

The two walked back toward the main hall, Elanee veering off to the left just before to fetch Lily from the basement.

Casavir was in relatively high spirits brought on by his strengthened determination. He reentered the room, only to be given a death glare from Bishop.

But the paladin ignored him, something Bishop wasn't expecting. Usually the ranger got at least a dirty look in exchange for one of his own, but this time he was treated only to silence. He was bothered by the determined look that still decorated Casavir's face, but Bishop would have to wait for the paladin to act to find out how he could best turn the situation in his own favor.

A few minutes passed before Elanee rejoined the others in the room, promptly turning back around to face where she had just come from with an expectant smile. The others were confounded about her actions until they became transfixed by a brilliant flash of gold.

Lily stepped into the room, her golden hair brace catching the light still pouring in from the windows. Her long, wavy, golden-brown locks were pulled to the side and draping over one shoulder. She was wearing a long, white-and-gold dress, which contrasted nicely with her slightly tan elven skin. Lily was most definitely donning a much more feminine look tonight than her usual sorceress robes.

Casavir's heart stilled in his chest. He was speechless.

Bishop's eyes were wide and his brows were raised, seemingly stuck there permanently. He could do nothing but stare for a few seconds. He had never admired the way royal clothing looked, but this was an exception. "Well, well," he said finally with a smirk, his gaze lingering especially long on how tightly the material hugged her hips.

"There she is," Khelgar declared, his face bright and welcoming with a wide grin.

Lily walked in to the smiles of her friends turned in her direction. Their pleased expressions were contagious, and she found herself breaking into a humble and slightly embarrassed smile of her own. But only slightly.

Just as promised, Grobnar was playing "The Magical Accoutrements of Jazendry", a happy, upbeat song that Lily liked from what she had heard so far. She was beginning to feel like the night wouldn't be so bad after all.

Neeshka spoke third. "Well, Cas, we're glad you're back and not dead." She then looked around impatiently. "So, what're we waiting for? Where's the food?" Casavir couldn't help but look amused. Neeshka did have a one-track mind.

"It's already been laid out in the dining room," said Elanee. As quickly as the druid had spoken, Neeshka had already left the room. Unexpectedly, Ammon Jerro was right on her heels. So _that's_ why he had requested a celebration. Elanee was quick to admit, though, that the amount and quality of food prepared for such occasions was leagues beyond what was served on a normal day.

To everyone else's great surprise, even Aldanon had come to investigate what all the racket was about. As soon as he heard Grobnar's song, he stomped his feet and exclaimed excitedly, "Oh, Jazendry! My, my, Grobnar, will there be any dancing tonight to accompany the lovely tune?"

"You'll have to ask Lily!" Grobnar returned, giving the Leader a wink.

Lily balked at the idea. She had to admit that she had always wanted to dance, but she wasn't currently on the best of terms with the one everyone expected her to dance with, and she doubted the word "dance" was even in Bishop's vocabulary.

"I don't think I'm up for any of that," Khelgar admitted. "But I'm willin' to try out all the food; it smells like I'm gonna have a good time tonight." He looked at Casavir. "Welcome back, lad. Don't be too late gettin' some food, 'cause it won't be there for long with me around." The dwarf laughed heartily and went to join the others in the dining room.

"I saw a couple of ridiculous decorations when I was outside, so I think I'm gonna go for some target practice," Qara stated matter-of-factly with a smirk. "I'll see you all when you get outside. I'll try to leave some barrels for Lily." Everyone knew Qara was a pyromaniac, and the mad glint in her eyes every time she talked about destruction by fire only proved it.

Sand made a disgusted face and then tsked. "All that time for preparations and you don't even ruin them with an interesting spell," he chided her. They argued all the way out of the Keep; presumably Sand wanted some destruction for himself, but didn't want to admit it.

"Know that I am not opposed to dance, but I cannot say I have any experience in the act," Zhjaeve proclaimed. A very drunk worker bee immediately sidled up to her. Looking amused for the first time in Lily's memory, Zhjaeve simply and jokingly walked in a circle around the man until he grabbed her and started flinging her across the floor.

Lily and Elanee laughed at the display. After watching Zhjaeve get spun in a couple circles, Elanee turned to Lily and asked, "What would you like to do?" She was fishing for a certain answer, one that involved the paladin, but didn't make her intentions obvious.

Lily lowered her voice to a hushed whisper to reply. "Truthfully? I'd maybe like to dance." She seemed to be a bit uncertain about the topic at hand, partly because she was unsure of her abilities, and partly because she had always thought it a nice idea to blend with another being to the beat of music.

But Aldanon, who had strained his ears to hear every word, paid her shyness no mind. "Certainly, my dear! Why, it would be a crime for a lovely lady like yourself not to dance, especially to this song!" He grabbed her and pulled a drunk worker bee, swinging her around, but with considerably more grace than Zhjaeve's partner. He was a surprisingly good dancer for being, well, old. Lily found herself laughing at her own thoughts, but she didn't share them with their victim.

Elanee took the opportunity to distract Bishop. She made a quick pass by Casavir, saying only a clandestine phrase without looking at him: "Dining for five." He thought for a moment about what that could mean, but realization hit as she came upon Bishop. Casavir turned to join the pigs in the dining room, with Bishop watching his every step.

"Don't you want to dance?" Elanee asked of Bishop, stepping in front of his view. She knew he would never agree to such a thing, but wished to draw his attention away from Casavir.

Bishop looked at her for only a moment. "Pffh. Yeah, right," came his reply. He glanced at Lily dancing with the crazy old man and, satisfied that it at least wasn't Casavir, left the building to go to a more comfortable domain, one where the air wasn't stuffy and things were exploding, probably against the will of their owners.

Allowing herself a barely visible grin, Elanee leaned against the wall and watched the evening in the Keep unfold. She hoped Casavir had understood her cryptic message; she couldn't think of a better way to relay the information to him in such a short time without Bishop noticing. He'd never leave if he knew something was up, or if Casavir was still in the same room as Lily.

Sure enough, the paladin returned after approximately five minutes. Looking around and confirming that Bishop was no longer there, he nodded appreciatively toward Elanee and approached their Leader. She and Aldanon had stopped dancing now that Aldanon's apparent favorite song had ended, and he was clapping ecstatically at the moves the drunk worker bee was pulling with Zhjaeve, who seemed to be having a good time.

Lily didn't notice him over all the noise until he was within a meter of her. He made sure to keep his distance as she turned around and saw him.

"Oh. Casavir," she started, her eyes shifting a little. At that moment, she didn't seem to be talking to him at all, moreso was just flipping the name over her tongue and thinking of whether or not she liked it anymore. She was uncertain how to talk to him. She was angry with him, but she also didn't want to ruin the feel of the party, especially not one thrown for him, and especially not in front of her friends.

She had barely said anything at all, but already the paladin's spirits were lifted. He didn't remember the last time he heard her say his name, and he relished it.

"My lady. Forgive me for asking once more, but may we speak in private?" He waited patiently for her answer, ready to back off if she refused.

He wasn't expecting what came next. Lily looked him dead in the eye right where she stood, seemingly extremely confident. But just when she looked so certain that she would say something – something mean – she looked to have changed her mind. Instead, she just stared into his eyes, and he stared back apologetically.

At this, her anger with him melted a little. "Um..." She looked around. No one seemed to notice them. Feeling a bit better, and more confident, her mood improved. "Well...alright."

"Thank you," came his earnest reply. She had granted him a chance to explain himself, and he couldn't be more grateful.

"Come this way," she said, ushering him toward the wing off which both her room and the library trailed. He followed.

She took him near the door to her chamber, but did not allow him inside. They stood against the west wall, as to be more alert if someone were to spy on them. She looked at him expectantly.

"My lady," he began, clearing his throat. "I do not wish to change your opinion of what happened, nor insinuate anything by saying this." He paused. "I am grateful that you have given me this chance to speak, despite how you may feel toward me after what you saw."

Her bright green eyes bore into his.

Normally he'd be taken in unequivocally by them, but he could not afford to miss this opportunity to make things right. "I wish to apologize, sincerely, and with all of my being, for what I have done. I do not expect your forgiveness, but I do not wish for you to think I cannot take responsibility for my grave mistakes."

Lily looked at him with hard eyes. After thinking for a bit about how unfair she was being, though, they softened. "You have no need to apologize to me, Casavir," she started, feeling bad about how she was treating him, but simultaneously feeling like she should be even harsher.

"Forgive me, my lady, but yes, I do." He looked into her eyes.

She stared back into his for a few moments. In that time, she took in how striking his bright, icy blue eyes were, and understood how they could hold other women in a trance so easily. She still felt rubbed a bit raw from his actions, however, and was not taken in by their gentlemanly spell.

"Very well then...I forgive you," she said hesitantly, looking away.

He read the hesitation in her movements and voice and it made him feel uncomfortable. "Please do not say that if you do not mean it," Casavir pled.

She looked back into his face. "Alright, I won't."

Casavir sighed in relief. She didn't forgive him, but at least now she wasn't lying to make him feel better. Either way, the paladin felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. "Thank you for listening, my lady."

He figured she wanted her space now, and was going to oblige, but when he turned to walk back to where the music was, she said simply, "Wait."

Casavir stopped. He looked back at her inquisitively, but did not press her to explain.

Lily looked uncomfortable again, this time toying with the hem of her dress. After a few seconds, however, she steeled herself, and looked straight into his eyes, catching him off guard again. Through this, he tried to keep his face straight.

"When we first walked in to Blooden's lair, before Shandra sacrificed herself...were you attracted to her for even one moment?" He knew who she meant.

He again faced her head-on with a straight face. "Not even for one moment," he confirmed, saying each word solidly.

She read the truth in his gaze, and smiled. Casavir finally allowed himself to grin, taken in by her contagious and beautiful expression.

"Ahem," came a sudden, small voice.

Just then, they spotted Guyven of the Road. They hadn't noticed him before because of his rather...lacking stature.

"Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt. However, there appears to be a fire outside my window..."

Lily slapped her hand to her mouth. "Oh my goodness, Qara! I left her out there with the other two demons!" She gaped and ran out of the hall. Casavir dutifully followed.


	19. Chapter 19

* 19 * 7/10/12

Lily ran out into the courtyard, Casavir close behind her.

"Now that's how you fry a scarecrow! ...Or whatever that was," exclaimed Qara. The person-shaped, on-fire object – presumably a training dummy before its untimely demise – also had an arrow lodged in its chest. Even Sand couldn't help but smirk.

"Guys, you're...terrible." Lily had to try hard to be stern instead of laugh, for Guyven's sake. But really, what else could she have expected of letting them go outside?

"Why, hello, Lily. Come to partake in the destruction?" asked Sand, the evil smirk elongating on his face.

Bishop wasn't saying a word. He was eying Casavir malevolently, for Lily was no longer keeping a good enough amount of distance from him. Something must've happened while he had been carelessly firing arrows around the courtyard.

"I'm actually supposed to be putting an end to it as your ever-responsible Leader, _buuut_... How about this? Put that fire out so Guyven stops complaining and instead destroy some of these lines of flags." Lily loosened one line from a tree branch and blew it to smithereens with a small fireball. "Why do we even have these?" she laughed.

Casavir stiffened. He did not approve of this. However, he did not wish to spoil his relations with their Leader when she had just gotten back on speaking terms with him again, and thus he remained silent. He looked over to Bishop on a whim...

...And found the ranger staring directly back at him, malice and disgust in his eyes.


	20. Chapter 20 - T

**_Ceye's note_**_: Chapters marked with a "T" in the chapter list contain more mature content (rated T or higher)._

_..._

* 20 * 7/10/12

The group had gathered in the inn for a few drinks, though not all were partial to alcohol. Grobnar, for instance, having finished his lute-playing, was sitting at the table with most of the team (only Zhajeve was absent), but simply had a glass of orange juice in front of him.

Qara had no such qualms, however. She was easily on her third or fourth drink, but she seemed to be handling herself quite well. She was quite obviously no stranger to drink, or partying, for that matter.

Bishop was another who was quite accustomed to being a little tipsy. A latecomer to the event (presumably he had taken a nap between the explosion fun and now), he had a large tankard in front of him and frequently took to downing a considerable amount at a time. Still fully put-together, the alcohol seemed to be his longtime friend.

Not even his drinking capacity could touch that of Khelgar, however, who was easily the most well-versed in alcohol. Lily had even met him outside of a pub, after all. Having already consumed the most and feeling mostly fine, the boisterous dwarf was due for becoming flat-out wasted any minute now.

Ammon Jerro was standing by the fire with a glass in his hand chit-chatting with Elanee, who completely abstained from having anything. Lily couldn't tell from afar if he was trying to flirt or actually just chatting.

Neeshka was clearly the only one already completely gone, babbling on about everything and nothing at the same time. Casavir was trying to occupy her for some reason, though Lily couldn't quite understand why. He seemed to be cutting all of her sentences short, especially when he noticed others were listening. The paladin had had hardly anything to drink, a single glass of wine held unfinished on the table in front of him.

Sand didn't frequently partake in celebrating with drinks, and it showed. Not being as hammered as Neeshka, he still showed signs of being far from sober: his words were heavily slurred but he had the conscience to keep himself seated, unlike Neeshka, who seemed to want to get out of her chair every few minutes only to be plopped back down by her teammates' grabbing hands.

Lily was hesitant to accept a drink; she had never drunk this far from home and didn't know what kind of wine and alcohol came from the grapes around this area. She also had never been one for beer or liquor, having found this out at an early age when her father had made her taste some. Little Lily had spit it out, much to Daeghun's delight. "There," he'd said with a smirk, "Now you'll never become a drunkard."

"C'mon, Lily," Neeshka started, interrupting her own random story. "Ya can't expect to have ssome fun without ssome drink. At least haaf a lil' wiineee." She began giggling. Casavir looked dour at this suggestion, yet relieved that the subject of her incoherent mumbling had changed.

"I'm not sure how strong this stuff is," the still-dolled-up Leader returned uncertainly. She looked questioningly at what Casavir had in his hand. She did have to admit that it looked quite rich and delicious with its deep shade of crimson. "I guess...I'll try some of that."

"That'ss the sspirit!" cried Neeshka excitedly. She made a move to go fetch Lily some wine, but once again was pulled back down into her seat by the others.

Bishop stood up immediately. "You'd spill it before it ever got near the table. I'll get it." Having just finished his own drink, he was going for a refill anyway.

Lily smiled. She was happy to be surrounded by her friends, even though some of them were being kind of loud, what with Grobnar humming to himself, Neeshka trailing off at every opportunity, and Khelgar babbling but letting Neeshka have most of the spotlight. It was nice to relax after having felt tense the past several days. She also was a bit excited to try some of the wine, though she didn't want to admit it.

A glass with an opaque red liquid was set down in front of her. Under the chandelier, it looked a bit lighter than what Casavir had, but still pretty appealing. Lily looked up to see Bishop, but he had already turned to go back to his seat.

"Thanks," she said.

A dull "Yeah," was his only response.

Lily leaned forward and took a sip. Neeshka was staring at her with her eyebrows raised and a big smile on her face, her chin supported precariously by her hand.

With everyone looking at her seemingly so intently, Lily flushed a little. "It's good," she allowed, taking another sip.

Neeshka clapped and cheered. Grobnar looked skeptical but overall carefree, not wanting to be interfering. Casavir merely had a straight face.

"So what's next on our to-do list?" inquired Sand, trying to speak slowly but clearly and hold himself together. He didn't like faltering in front of anyone, especially not all of his team at once.

Their Leader thought a moment. "Well, we still have Mount Galardrym to tackle. Keros will never listen to Khelgar, or any of us for that matter, if we don't get the Belt of Ironfist."

"That blasted, stubborn loghead probably won't trust me even if we do get the belt. The dwarf's never been known for his tolerance," Khelgar finally broke in gruffly, his face a little red from drink.

"We still have to try," Lily pushed. "We'll set out tomorrow. Don't worry about it, Khelgar, I'm sure not even Keros is **that** harsh."

"You've barely seen the guy!" Khelgar shouted, but quickly looked ashamed and lowered his eyes to his tankard. After lowering his voice, he continued: "He'll be a thorn in my side so long as the Ironfist clan is under his rule."

"Then it won't be for much longer. Let's forget about that for now, though, alright?" Lily pleaded. Khelgar nodded.

"Sooo, Lily girl, how do you feeel?" giggled Neeshka.

"I'm well, Neeshka, jeez," Lily giggled back. She felt like a schoolgirl engaging in underage drinking for the first time.

Qara rolled her eyes, but had a grin on her face nonetheless. She took another swig, but caught Sand looking at her out of the corner of her eye.

"What?" she managed after putting her drink back down.

"Nothing," came Sand's quick reply.

"Are you jealous of how much alcohol a girl like me can throw back, buddy?" Qara winked.

"Please! As if that's something to be proud of!" But Sand's eyes narrowed.

Lily wouldn't call Sand's feeling "jealousy". He was probably more embarrassed that he can't handle his liquor as well as his rival, but Lily wouldn't say that aloud. Who cares about alcohol tolerance, really?

"Hah, Bishop," Lily called.

Bishop looked up, a bit confused.

"Where's the dagger on your chest? You usually...have one there." Lily stopped. She began thinking the sound of her own voice was a bit foreign. Why had she mentioned that to him?

Bishop didn't look down to check. He stiffened, seemingly taken aback by her sudden outburst.

"Are you okay?" asked Sand of their Leader, though he already understood.

"I think our noble Leader is a little bit tippsyyyy," Neeshka sang.

Casavir's mouth hardened in a firm line, but he said nothing. He did, however, scoot to the side of his chair closer to Lily.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Qara smiled. "Looks like you've finally delved into the world of drinking a bit more than you should." She laughed, and was chewing on something, though it was hard to make out what it was.

Lily looked down at her glass, and gasped. Her wine was already halfway gone.

Sand peeked. "From the looks of how much is left, it appears you're a lightweight." He wore a satisfied face, one that screamed "I'm-not-the-loser-here,-move-along".

"I...uhhh...guess..." their Leader started. Once again, all of their attention was on her.

Noting their eyes, Lily pursed her lips. "...I don't know!" She hid her face in her hands, blushing. Bishop smirked.

Suddenly, Casavir tilted his head down in front of her face, trying to block everyone's sight while comforting her. Noticing a shadow cast over her eyelids, Lily reappeared from behind her hands and looked into the paladin's close face, her own still slightly red. Doing so raised her head just enough so that her hair touched his skin ever so slightly.

Casavir looked into her face and breathed out a single, strangled breath. Her bright green eyes bore through him. She was...staring at him. And not just back at his eyes, either. She was instead looking lower, at his lips.

The rest of the group was silent, even Bishop. Lily wasn't about to break away to see the ranger's expression, however.

Casavir lingered for another second, took one more deep breath, and pulled away. He couldn't allow anything to happen while she was in her current state...even **that**, and even with him.

"Looks like the red is contaaaagiioouuss," Neeshka teased, the first to break the silence that had followed in those few seconds that had seemed like hours to the paladin.

Lily laughed. "Shut up, Neeshka." The tiefling responded with a drunken smile. She caught Grobnar looking concerned in a different direction from their own.

"What's wrong, Grobnar?" But then she saw. Bishop had left the room. "Oh."

Qara tsked and leaned back in her chair, arms folded behind her head. "Forget about him. He's always moody."

"You're one to talk," Neeshka ventured, albeit lightly. She tried to soften her accusation with a short but uncertain laugh.

"Whatever," was Qara's simple reply. She was still grinning. Neeshka phewed.

"Perhaps we should include the others again, now," suggested Sand, referring to the two team members still standing by the fire, though they were no longer chatting fervently. Almost as soon as he finished his sentence, he was on his feet and joining the smaller group.

"Yeah, alright..." Lily whispered, a bit worried about Bishop. She didn't quite know why, but it bothered her to think he'd be upset enough with them to leave.

"C'mon, lesss...let's do it!" exclaimed Neeshka, all for every idea of the night, it seemed. She stood up, but this time, nobody stopped her. Khelgar instead just arose to walk by her and prevent her falling.

Grobnar jumped up, eager to set a more joyful example for Lily. Lily caught his eye and smiled again.

Casavir got to his feet as soon as Lily did. He walked to the side but slightly behind her as she progressed toward the fire. When she was standing in front of it, however, she turned around and immediately bumped into him.

"Oh, sorry..." She wound her way around him.

"My lady, where are you going, if I may ask?" Politeness aside, this was almost a demand from Casavir. Bishop's room was directly behind where they had just come from, the same direction in which Lily now wished to walk.

"I drank a lot of water throughout the day...give me a few minutes," she explained, turning to obscure her face and skittering off.

Casavir didn't like the idea of leaving her outside alone, but at least it was better than leaving her alone with Bishop in this state. He looked after her movements to verify she actually went in the direction toward the woods, then continued moving toward the hearth.

After a precious half-minute or so, Lily peeked around the corner and saw Casavir facing away from her. The others could see her if she made her move from her current spot, but if she backed up a few meters to where the light didn't reach very well, she could hide. She did so, backing herself against the wall and moving to the left to reach the door to Bishop's room inside the inn.

She opened the door agonizingly slowly so as not to make any sudden noise. After what seemed like a full minute of opening a damned door, she wiggled herself in and closed it behind her.

Bishop's eyes were glaring into hers, but there was a hint of amusement. He remained silent for a few moments.

Then:

"What are you doing in here?"

"You left," Lily stated flatly. "You're supposed to be having fun with the rest of us," she pouted, almost uncharacteristically. She was surprised at her own words.

Bishop looked surprised, but grinned almost...knowingly. "I couldn't stand the air any longer. This place sucks." Apparently he had taken his drink into his room, because now he took a swig from it.

"There are other places to stay besides this tiny hovel, dear prince. I'm sorry it doesn't suit your exquisite tastes," she joked.

"Ladyship, I'm perfectly fine with sleeping in the woods. This place is a lot dirtier." Was that a...wink?

"But do go on," Bishop continued, setting down his drink. "Tell me about some of these _other_ places I could be staying."

Lily thought for a moment. "Well, there's the war room, and we could even build another one onto the Keep if you really wanted."

Bishop drew nearer. "Anywhere...else?" Each word weighed a thousand tons.

Within a few seconds he was towering over her. He placed his arm behind her head and stared down into her unassuming face. Lily didn't know why she just now thought of it, but he was a decent bit taller than she was. She only came up to about his nose.

Just as she thought that, his lips touched her hairline. Lily's mouth hung open; she didn't make a move but to look up at him. What was he doing?

"Bishop..."

In response, he breathed out, his hot breath against her forehead, which made her shiver and grab the sides of his vest. "Bishop... What..." she repeated, though it sounded like more of a whine this time. She started pushing him away, but stopped midway. Her brain...just couldn't decide...

There was dead silence save for their breathing for several heated seconds. She felt stiff, entranced, and...heavily intoxicated. She didn't feel normal at all.

Bishop hesitated. After a few more seconds, he lowered his lips to her ear and whispered, "You should...rejoin the others now." He was breathing heavily, panting audibly next to her ear. He put down his arm and took her own in his hands, breaking it away from his cloak.

Lily didn't fully grasp what just happened, but her body was frozen solid. Or perhaps burning hot. Whichever temperature extreme meant that she was rooted to the ground where she stood that very moment.

Bishop took a step away and picked up his drink again, taking a gulp and acting like little had happened.

"I..." Lily started, but she couldn't get any words out. Bishop's muddled expression seemed to encourage her to continue her train of thought, but she instead hastily grabbed the door handle before recalling the necessity to be quiet. She tried to open the door slowly again, but now she was far more impatient and instead sacrificed silence for speed.

Luckily, at that moment, Neeshka had burst out laughing from something someone had said, or perhaps because she was plastered. Either way, Lily snuck back to the appropriate position one would be in when coming back from outside the inn. Taking a deep breath, she started walking back toward where the others were.

She rejoined them without a hitch, not even being discovered by Casavir. She inconspicuously turned her head to look at the door to Bishop's room.

But it remained closed.


	21. Chapter 21

* 21 * 7/11/12

Half of the party was seated, especially those who were intoxicated, around the hearth now. It had been fifteen or so minutes since Bishop had left, and the wine was really starting to affect Lily. For that reason, she stayed mostly quiet, but couldn't help laughing with Neeshka every now and then. She had to admit that even though the tiefling was beyond wasted, she at least knew how to have a good time instead of being a violent and intolerable drunk.

But Lily was realizing as the minutes ticked on that her reasoning was becoming more and more clouded. Still, she preferred to stand, feeling that if she had to concentrate on doing something that it'd keep her sober... Enough, at least.

Casavir was still in his armor, despite there not being any enemies to fight at the moment. He kept it on at almost all times, always ready to spring into action...in case there were some kobolds hiding in the walls or something.

Lily stared at his drink. He had a mere quarter of it left, but he had had the same drink for almost half an hour now. Needless to say, he paced himself quite well with alcohol, and seemed in full possession of all his faculties.

Lily smiled. That was just like Casavir.

Her attention moved to his hands, one of the only parts of his body not currently covered in some kind of plating. She examined the shape of his fingers, paid mind to their length and curvature.

Casavir was in his mid-thirties, made readily obvious by the few light wrinkles in his face, which were especially noticeable when he frowned. Though he was stern, he was also quite responsible, selfless, and caring, and thus had won the respect of all of his teammates rather quickly. Well, almost all of them. His striking ice blue eyes most often focused on only one thing at a time and rarely flitted around; this, combined with his great patience, gave the impression that he really **saw** you when you spoke to him. His sheer presence had many times put Lily at ease, which was part of the reason she was so happy to have him back with the party. He always seemed to be right next to or behind her, and she had gotten so used to him being there that she felt very exposed when he wasn't.

Lily could be considered quite young for a sun elf, and in her years, she had never met anyone like Casavir, a true knight in shining armor in all senses of the phrase. It was easy to delude yourself into believing no gentlemen existed anymore when there was so much hatred and greed in the world. But the world had always been that way, and the white knight stereotype had come from somewhere.

Without thinking, Lily reached over and grabbed the paladin's left hand in her own, bringing it a few centimeters higher to see if there were any obvious signs of age. He had a few extra lines, perhaps scars, but those could've come from anywhere, having been trained to fight for many years. It was always surprising to Lily to find a warrior that had been battling for many decades yet still had all his limbs intact. She was surprised even she fit this bill after so many years.

His hands were surprisingly soft for such a battle-hardened warrior, but then again, he had had days to heal. He wasn't clenching his fist, which made it easy for Lily to slide her fingers over his own and feel them sidle over her skin.

With a start, she realized what she was doing, and looked up. Casavir's gaze was locked on his hand, which was now sandwiched between those of Lily. His lips again formed a line, and he seemed reluctant to meet her eyes. His expression was mostly unreadable, but there was a hint of curiosity, and more noticeably, embarrassment.

No one else seemed to have noticed, or at least no one had said anything yet; Lily hadn't broken her concentration away from Casavir to check.

She shifted her gaze back down to his hand, chancing a very light squeeze as she felt his skin more. Lily looked again into his face. This time, she caught him looking straight back. No longer able to contain it, his face was colored. Lily giggled quietly and smiled up at him.

Casavir looked as if he'd been stung; he shifted his gaze away and quickly turned back toward the others, being careful as to disengage his hand from her own gracefully without ripping it away. He said nothing, but disapproval was stark on his face. It didn't seem to pertain to her directly, however. But then, what, or whom, was its target?

Lily dropped her hands to her sides and tried to go back to looking normal after her minutes-long lapse in judgment. Out of her periphery, she found a pair of eyes that had been watching. Grobnar's. Without thinking, she raised her hand to wave to him, then put it down again, blushing. _Why did I do that?_

Thankfully, Grobnar the Airhead just waved back enthusiastically instead of thinking she was weird or something. Lily was bothered as to why she was suddenly worried about that kind of thing. Then again, her headspace did feel more than a little off. Perhaps she should leave the others until she had sobered up, but what would she do? She wasn't quite tired enough yet to sleep, and blowing things up in her current state would certainly not be a good idea, though it would probably be tons of fun.

As the minutes went on and Lily thought more and more (though it was gradually becoming harder to do so) about her sudden fascination with Casavir's hand, she began feeling guilty. He had taken a few more sips of wine since then to try to fit in with the others, but his demeanor still hadn't quite returned to how it was before her little episode. This worried her.

She edged closer to her right toward him and lightly grabbed a piece of his arm armor. "Hey," she whispered.

Casavir sucked in a strangled breath and dutifully looked over to her, made stiff by her touch. "Yes, my lady?" He looked down once at where her hand was before matching her eyes again.

"Are you upset with me? I'm sorry."

Casavir made a quiet sound of disbelief. "My lady, I assure you that I am not upset." His face told a different story, though it wasn't necessarily a completely bad upset. Moreso...confusion, and uncertainty.

"Okay." Lily was about to let it drop, but then a sudden warmth flowed through her, and she giggled again. "That makes me happy." She embraced his entire arm with both of hers now and gave a squeeze. Casavir's breathing picked up, as did his heartbeat.

"...If I may say, my lady... I do not believe you are in the fullest possession of your wits at the moment... Perhaps you should sit down until the drink is out of your system."

"But I like it right here, standing up," she whined, her gaze catching his again.

Casavir was now effectively speechless. As more members of the team finally started to notice the mini affair, heat rushed to his cheeks. He couldn't and wouldn't push her off, but she was also not being completely herself. He should not allow her to let herself be so vulnerable in front of anyone, even him. It was his duty as a paladin to keep his Leader from doing such things. Right?

Now that they had been discovered, the paladin tried to hide his face by looking down at the ground, still fervently trying to think of what to do. Lily held onto his arm, grinning only wider the more people caught sight of them.

"Casavir, it appears you have a leech," Qara joked.

If anyone hadn't seen them before, now everyone was looking in their direction.

"WHAAAA!" Neeshka started howling with laughter and making cat calls between snorts. Hopefully no one in the inn was planning on catching any sleep anytime soon.

Elanee was grinning uncontrollably, a rare sight. She seemed even more pleased than Neeshka with the scene, who was already crying from laughter. Lily didn't quite understand why it was so funny, but then again, it didn't have to be funny for someone who was wasted to find it absolutely hilarious.

Or maybe... Was it because Neeshka had been waiting for this to happen? She had witnessed the events at Ammon Jerro's Haven. The portals, finding Casavir...

The kiss...

Maybe she was laughing because the air between the party seemed to be tolerable again, the tension from that day having temporarily dissipated from the minds of those who were involved.

Or maybe Lily was overthinking Neeshka's thoughts, and the tiefling wasn't thinking at all.

_Isn't alcohol supposed to __**lessen**__your tendency to think?_

"You two seem like you would work rather well together," Elanee commented, bringing Lily out of her reverie.

Casavir's heart was pounding, and all of the blood seemed to be going directly to his cheeks. He tried to hide his face even more, but his feelings betrayed him and he looked toward where Lily held onto him. In response, she leaned against him.

Lily couldn't have been more than twenty centimeters shorter than him, but her leaning made her appear much shorter. Casavir didn't know precisely how old she was, but sun elves stayed youthful for a long time. In many ways, she was as young as in her 20s, most noticeably in personality: though serious when a battle was on the horizon, she was most of the time rather carefree, a trait Casavir couldn't help but envy. For a moment, his eyes softened as he looked at her. He didn't want to move, but the pressure of all the eyes in the room on him made him uncomfortable. If only he and Lily could be invisible from their sight for just a few minutes...

_No. No, absolutely not!_ he chided himself. His self control was able to stop this thinking in its tracks for a few moments. But...

_"If only's... If only I could be as liked as her, then everything in my world would be okay... If only I could live in luxury like him, then I would have no more issues plaguing my mind... If these things ever were to be attained, then we would just find another potion to dream about that would solve all our problems..."_

His brief spurt of anger was wholly dispensed, and a small smile found its way to his mouth. Such wisdom is not acquired through a life of blindness and immaturity. Lily was even more impressive a creature than he'd given her credit for, which was saying something... He wondered more about her past, how she'd lived her life before the attack on West Harbor. What did she spend her time on then, when she didn't regularly have to lead ten friends into battle?

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted: "Maybe we should ask for another room so they can flirt more privately," Qara said, bemusedly raising her eyebrows.

Casavir snapped out of it at this lewd comment. All of this daydreaming had been done while he was staring at the one clinging to his arm. And, as he quickly realized, she had been looking back the entire time.

Now his heart threatened to beat right through his chest. With much reluctance, he finally broke free of Lily's hold on him. With a polite and simple "Excuse me," he quickly walked to the door and exited the inn.

Lily stayed put but looked after him, tears welling up in her eyes.


	22. Chapter 22

* 22 * 7/12/12

Bishop was sitting at a small table in the dimly-lit room the inn had lent him. He had one foot flat on the chair with his arm resting on his knee. His tankard was empty as he stared at the wall, eyes unblinking. His thoughts raced.

_What the hell am I trying to do here?_

_Why do I have such a problem with what's going on?_

_Why do I care?_

He clasped a hand over his forehead and closed his eyes in pain.

_Why am I even still __**here**__?!_

Biting the corner of his lip, he quickly jumped up and was about to smash his tankard against the wall, but stopped himself as he thought of Lily.

Which in itself made him want to pull his hair out instead.

He had enough mind to put the tankard down and take a deep breath before he walked calmly over to the wall opposite the door and slammed his fist against it. It made a satisfying bang, but not loud enough to alert the others that he was going batshit insane.

_That felt good..._

He made to hit the wall again, but instead exhaled sharply and put both palms flat against it, hanging his head.

_Dammit, elf..._


	23. Chapter 23

* 23 * 7/12/12

Lily was able to hold her tears in for the sake of those around her, but she felt really bad about having made Casavir leave. She had never seen him exit a room because of her, and she had to admit that it felt terrible. She wanted him to walk back in and admit to her that he didn't ever want to leave so long as she was there, that he wouldn't do it again, but that was asking too much... What is he, a puppy?

_I've been taking him for granted all this time... But now I went too far... What if he won't ever act the same around me again?_ Her worries seemed to be amplified tenfold from the amount of care she usually vested in such things.

The others waved his exit off, but when Neeshka teased Lily again about having clung to Casavir, Lily couldn't stand it anymore. She went after him, abandoning her glass on the table. Khelgar moved to intercept her, but Sand intervened.

"Don't. Let her go after him by herself. Those two have never really been fully alone, and some good might come of being able to talk things out," he reasoned.

Khelgar frowned, but didn't object. He sat back down and tried to focus on the flickering of the flames, wondering what the hell was going on with everyone tonight.


	24. Chapter 24

* 24 * 7/12/12

Once Lily had shut the door, she started running. She didn't know why she felt so desperate to right whatever she'd done, but the motivation was overwhelming. She couldn't leave Casavir of all people upset with her even a little, despite what he had told her.

She checked near the inn and up by the entrance to the Keep. She went inside and searched every room, even the basement, where Kistrel twittered confusedly at her distraught demeanor.

"Have you seen Casavir?" she asked the gigantic, luminescent spider. Kistrel chittered while shaking his head, so Lily went back upstairs to search the dining room, which, of course, was empty. Even the food was gone, though that was no surprise.

Beginning to panic, Lily rushed out of the Keep and down the hill so fast that she lost her footing and rolled down a good two meters before colliding side-first against a tree. "Egh!" she shouted, holding herself still for a moment before launching to her feet again. Her coordination was really shot now.

_Why am I so frantic? Why is this sudden drive to make things right so intense? _she thought while running. She fled to the west of the courtyard, with only two buildings left to search. She came to the door to the Temple of Tyr and opened it, albeit slowly despite her rush, for this was still a holy temple.

The temple seemed to be completely vacant due to the festivities. Lily walked all the way to the other side of the building and peeked in two rooms before finally spotting shining silver armor on a man facing away from her.

"Casavir!" she shouted, running toward him.

He turned abruptly, not having expected anyone to come find him, especially not her. She stopped before reaching him, and he gasped when he got a good look at the quantity of dirt and twigs sticking to the side of her dress.

"My lady, what happened?!" Casavir asked frantically, alarmed.

Lily burst into tears, taking the paladin aback. It seemed heartless for her to be left panting and crying so far away, but he had no idea what he should do. Each teardrop was like a 5-ton weight on his heart.

"I just...I just wanted to say that I'm sorry, and I didn't mean it, and I don't want you to walk out, and I don't want you to be upset!" she cried, tears falling with each word.

Casavir was shocked. "My lady, I... I didn't..." She turned her face up more to see him better when he was talking, which also gave the paladin a better view of the wet trails forming down her face. He was at a loss for words. He resigned to pleading, "Please don't..."

"Casavir!" she shouted once more. Lily ran toward him and threw her arms around him, giving him barely enough time to react and maintain his balance.

His heart seemed to stop entirely. Lily cried with her head laid against his chest, shaking uncontrollably. "Don't be mad, don't be mad, don't be mad..." she quietly begged.

Casavir's whole countenance seemed to tremble, but he didn't want to leave her crying and thinking all the wrong things. He racked his brain for what to do. He wanted to show her that he didn't leave the inn because he was mad... He wanted to show her that...

That he...

Casavir stilled his breath, then relaxed his muscles. He slowly, very slowly, brought his arms around her waist, and pulled her close.

Lily's crying began easing up. She moved her head to nestle it in his shoulder and slowly closed her eyes, becoming more peaceful by the second.

Casavir's breathing slowed tremendously, becoming very deep and thorough. There was silence in the room save for Lily's soft sobbing, and he wanted to close his eyes, too.

No one barged in. No one came in with loud conversation to distract them. Casavir held Lily in his arms, and all was quiet.

The paladin didn't dare speak. Locked in a moment, it would never end if the world just stayed very still. So he did. He hoped he didn't have to explain further right now that he wasn't upset, hoped that Lily would understand through body language alone that he was far from mad at her.

Lily's sobbing slowed to every few seconds, and her breathing regained a more natural pattern. Through his armor, Casavir could not feel her chest cavity expand and contract against his, and he longed to take the million-kilo plating off this very second. But he didn't dare move, either.

_How can I...be doing this? In Tyr's own temple, even... No... I..._

He looked down gently at the nearly silent, beautiful elven maiden resting against him.

_Surely there's something wrong with this.. I feel..._

Much to Casavir's delight, Lily didn't break away, even despite the fact that time is supposed to slip from between your fingers.

_Happy. The most peaceful that I have in years._

But here – right now – it seemed eternal.

_If only I hadn't so much armor on..._

But Casavir stopped himself, smiling as he remembered Lily's words once more.

_No. This is more than enough._


	25. Chapter 25

* 25 * 7/13/12

Khelgar had drunk many a time in his life, and he knew his drinking personality quite well. He was able to control himself when he really wanted to, though he didn't often really want to. Tonight, however, was one of those rare times.

Having bore witness to both the intimate events involving Blooden and Casavir's retreat this night, the shield dwarf was growing quite concerned with the state of affairs between two of his best battle partners. Bishop was always a wildcard, so Khelgar never fussed too much about what was going on with him. If the implacable ranger didn't have a reason to complain, he'd make one.

Khelgar wasn't worried if Lily was alone with Casavir. Khelgar trusted Casavir. His trust wasn't easy to earn, but there was something about the paladin that just felt wholly dependable. Fighting alongside him had given Khelgar plenty of opportunity to witness how Casavir acted when his life and those of his friends were on the line. He could tell from the other's priorities on the battlefield that the paladin cared very much for the safety of those around him, and he cared very much for Lily. Before Casavir was part of their group, Khelgar had done most of the defending of their Leader; having someone to not only aid in that regard but also who was fully capable of doing it all by himself had led Khelgar to invest even more faith in the paladin's ability and character.

No, Khelgar was worried that Lily hadn't even been able to find Casavir. Sand's comment had kept the dwarf back for awhile, but ultimately, he thought of how abnormal Lily had been acting before she left the inn and remembered how lost he had been in his own mind when he first started getting drunk (a time that seemed to be centuries past, for sure). To put his worries to rest, he wanted to find Lily and make sure she got to the paladin without harm.

He began his search with the areas and buildings closest to the inn, but when that turned up no Lily, moved to the west to one of his favorite places: the Temple of Tyr.

Khelgar stepped inside, closing the heavy door slowly behind him. He was glad that Lily had chosen to build the temple, and he was sure that Casavir felt just as appreciative. Lily looked out for her team's desires and preferences both pertaining to equipment as well as those of less obvious significance. Having the temple here was good for the morale for her two main melee teammates, and the bright elf probably knew that.

The place was silent, even for a temple, for its normal two inhabitants were nowhere to be seen. They were likely in the Keep living out the last few hours of the celebration or, if they were anything like Khelgar, trying to get the workers to make more food in the kitchen. When their Leader called for a celebration, the whole Keep and all of its surroundings celebrated.

Khelgar was about to leave, satisfied that Lily wasn't here, before he heard a sigh coming from near or in the back-right room. Not quite sure who or what in particular would've made the sound, the dwarf walked farther into the temple and took a short peek inside. There, he found not only Lily, but Casavir as well.

Khelgar sighed, feeling better already. He turned around again and made his way out of the temple. "Well, that's a relief."

Suddenly, the significance of what he had just seen hit him all at once.

"_Huh?!_"


	26. Chapter 26

* 26 * 7/14/12

Khelgar made his way back to the inn, his mind still preoccupied with what he just witnessed. Despite his distraction, he knew the way back by heart, because after all, the inn did double as a tavern, and Khelgar was Khelgar.

"I've never seen them flirt so openly like that," he overheard Elanee mention just as he walked in. "Before I thought it was one-sided, but maybe something really is going on between them," she mused with a smile.

"You seem quite delighted at that possibility, Elanee," Sand stated flatly while taking a sip. He was pacing himself now since Queen Lightweight was out of the room, and he didn't want to take her place on the alcohol intolerance scale again.

"I don't know, maybe," the druid shrugged.

"They're cute in their denial," Neeshka oozed, daydreaming about how it'd be like if the two were together.

Khelgar kept his mouth shut, choosing only to reclaim his seat.

But he knew he couldn't remain silent for long.

"Was Lily okay, or did she trip and fall in a ditch?" Qara asked with a tinge of humor.

"She was okay," the dwarf returned simply, nodding a few times for emphasis but not taking his eyes off the ground.

Grobnar piped up. "Oh, that's a relief! I was rather worried!" He appeared a lot more relaxed, reclining more in his seat. His posture imitated that of a classy gentleman, but he was still drinking from a glass of orange juice. Neeshka couldn't help but snort.

Khelgar breathed a sigh in amelioration and resumed his drinking, but this was again short-lived.

After awhile: "Where was she?" continued Qara.

The dwarf spit out his ale. Everyone gaped at him, with Neeshka bursting out in laughter again.

"S-she...was in the Temple of Tyr," he answered, then, hastily: "What a good lass!" He laughed nervously, trying to play it off as unimportant.

"Oh, so she must've found Casavir. That's a sensible place for him to go," Elanee reasoned.

"Especially considering what he must've been thinking about after all that attention she gave him," Ammon said with a hearty laugh. Most of the others joined the old crone, but Khelgar shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

_It's not my business to tell_, he argued with himself. _But they're dead-on._

Just then, they all heard the door to the entrance of the inn slam. They whirled in its direction.

And found that Bishop's door, previously closed, was wide open.


	27. Chapter 27

* 27 * 7/14/12

Bishop stormed through the courtyard, headed straight for the Temple of Tyr. That holy-humping bastard was _not_ going to take advantage of the situation any longer. He couldn't believe he had been so careless as to leave her out there with the paladin without keeping an eye on them. He had thought everyone else being there was a cushion that would make them incapable of acting toward one another, but he had been wrong. And now he had to fix it, before she grew a halo over her head, too.

Once inside the temple, he utilized his skill in stealth to move silently along the walls until he spotted them in the back room. Just one look inside made his stomach want to retch.

So the horny lot of filth finally had mustered up the courage to make a move. Funny coincidence that Lily wasn't even sober when it happened. He made to growl, but chose instead to stay quiet while he tried to think rationally about what to do.

A second later, Bishop couldn't help himself and pounced, clamoring into the room and extracting Lily from the paladin's arms as lightly as he could through his rage.

Casavir reacted almost immediately, pushing Lily gently to his right and advancing toward the ranger. "What is your business here?" he demanded, clearly enraged.

"To knock you the fuck out!" Bishop charged the paladin up against the wall, but the other's armor protected him from the blow.

"How dare you assault me here!" Casavir used his placement against the wall to his advantage, placing a foot against it and utilizing his momentum to launch Bishop a good meter away. Unlike Casavir, Bishop wasn't wearing plated armor, and so he wasn't so lucky as to avoid pain when he went crashing into a chair. As reflex, he reached for his dagger, but quickly remembered it wasn't there.

Still, Lily panicked at the sheer gesture. "Stop!" she shouted, hysterical again.

Bishop shot her a glare. "And you," he stated, his voice loud and threatening. "What the hell are you doing here with him? _Alone_?" He got up and began advancing toward her to intimidate her, but the paladin abruptly stepped in front of her.

Casavir said nothing, but Bishop had never seen such venom in his eyes. The armored warrior's face was contorted into the most menacing scowl Bishop had ever had directed at him.

A realization suddenly occurred to Bishop, and his blind rage settled into being merely heated. This was not the place to attack Casavir, as being inside this building made the paladin feel territorial, only strengthening his resolve. And he was far more protected than Bishop was, both in armor and in his guiltless state of mind.

Bishop returned Casavir's display of hostility, but then turned away. He looked up just in time to catch Lily taking the brief interlude as a chance to run outside of the temple, likely to get the others to help quell the fight, since she was in no state to do it on her own. Casavir went after her, just in case the ranger were to follow.

Bishop winced, but stayed right where he was. He raised his hand to his forehead and exhaled sharply.

_When you don't have that stupid shining armor on, paladin, we're going to have an even-handed fight._


	28. Chapter 28

* 28 * 7/14/12

Right outside the door stood the party, ready to move in. When Lily whirled around and saw Casavir right behind her, however, she stopped. The others wouldn't be needed after all.

"What happened?" frantically asked Grobnar, noting the ample amount of dirt on Lily's side. "Did you get pushed onto the ground?"

"No, Grobnar, I'm all right," she reassured him, smiling through her shaking.

Grobnar neared her and analyzed her trembling face from his height. "You're not all right," he said sadly.

"It has been a long night," Casavir stated, his adrenaline getting back to normal levels. He caught a glimpse of Lily's stricken and frightened face and frowned. "Our Leader should get back to her quarters and rest, as should we."

"Such draamaa," Neeshka whined, made excited by this turn of events.

"What do you expect when everyone's drinking?" pitched in Qara. "Come on, Lily, let's get you to your room."


	29. Chapter 29 - T

**_Ceye's note_**_: Chapters marked with a "T" in the chapter list contain more mature content (rated T or higher)._

_..._

* 29 * 7/14/12

Zhjaeve was laughing. She really had not experienced anything like that before. Uncus the merchant had been howling at the dance performance the entire time, and she almost felt embarrassed. Almost.

She had not witnessed any of the events of that night besides those that had happened when everyone was still inside the Keep, and so looked puzzled when almost the entire group came in through the Keep's entrance all at once, Qara standing close to Lily and briskly walking toward their Leader's room. Lily made a motion with her hands and said something, and Qara stopped walking in her stride. Their Leader continued alone to her quarters, shutting the door behind her.

The elf ran to and jumped onto her bed. She turned over, staring up at the ceiling.

An hour passed. As it did, Lily grew sad. She thought she'd be happy to be away from the loudness of the night, but instead, she felt exceedingly lonely. Lying spread eagle, she flipped on her side and brought her knees to her chest.

Why had it all gone wrong? Was it because she locked onto Casavir like that? She felt terrible. Now tensions between the two rivals were even stronger. Would they ever be able to get along?

She wanted to go to the main hall and be with everyone again, but all she had done tonight is cause trouble. She sighed dejectedly to herself and stared ahead at the wall.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, she caught movement near her door. To her surprise, it opened, letting a figure in.

Lily mouthed his name quietly. "Bishop?"

In walked Bishop, closing the door behind him.

Lily sat up almost immediately, but still kept her knees close to her, feeling safer that way. "What do you want?" she demanded, more curtly than she had intended.

"Lily," was all he said, looking at her. She had never heard him say her name before. He seemed relatively calm, but the sun elf was skeptical. Nonetheless, she stood up, still keeping her distance.

_His face is so serious._

He looked down to one side, seeming ashamed. "Why did you...hug the paladin like that?"

Lily folded her arms. "I hardly see how it's any of your business."

"It **is** my business! Quit acting like you actually wanted to!" he shouted, therewith dashing all pretense of being calm. "You were on the right track before you had to go and leave my room."

"What?! You **told** me to!"

"Because you looked completely lost," he explained, exasperated. Then, in a lower voice, as if talking to himself, he continued: "I thought it would change your damned reservations about letting yourself go."

Lily stopped dead in her tracks. "What?"

"The wine." The volume of his voice shot back up. "It was supposed to make you more suggestible, but it worked with the wrong person," he scowled.

She gasped, throwing her hand up to her mouth. "Bishop, you...?"

"Yeah, I drugged it. So what?"

"With...what?" Lily inquired, eyes wide.

"With an empathogenic chemical. It makes you more susceptible to giving affection, among other things."

Lily had been feeling weird, but she thought it was just the alcohol. She couldn't remember alcohol ever feeling like that, though. Everything was starting to make a lot more sense now. "Why did you?"

"Because I..." Bishop looked back to Lily's face as he opened his mouth, but when he saw her questioning expression, he closed it. He angrily put his hands up to his hair, ruffling it a bit. "How else am I supposed to get you to relax and stop being so uptight all the time?"

Lily didn't say anything, her lips pursed. Part of her wanted to be upset, but if Bishop was really trying to get her to loosen up, what was the harm? Even if he did it to satisfy his primal urges, was that really something so unheard of? As long as he didn't slit her throat or something afterwards, was there anything to be afraid of?

And, if Lily was being honest with herself, she thought the idea kind of...exciting.

Speaking of slitting throats, where was Bishop's dagger? He'd had it earlier that day.

Instead of cowering, Lily walked toward him. Bishop was taken aback, definitely not expecting her to move any closer after he had just admitted what he'd done.

She looked him straight in the eye. "Bishop, where's your skinning knife?"

Bishop, still surprised, tried to think of a quick excuse, his eyes shifting around the room. But Lily remained staring him down.

"Did you plan on killing me after seducing me?" she inquired, completely level-toned.

"No. Of course not," Bishop stated firmly, finally catching her gaze again, and holding it. He implored her with his amber eyes. "I wouldn't do something that stupid. That's a coward's way to avoid taking responsibility." He did seem awfully convincing. "I just..."

Lily latched onto that small fragment of a sentence. "Yes?"

The ranger broke his eyes away again, only occasionally daring to resume their staring contest. "I just can't stand that stupid royal dress you wear." He was lying. He liked the dress very much, but that didn't change his motives against it.

"You were planning to _cut_ it off?"

"Yeah, why not?" he stated matter-of-factly with manufactured overconfidence, though the elf caught a shade that wasn't quite the ranger's skin tone coming to color his face.

"I see. So you hid the dagger so I wouldn't take it once I found out your motives, or so you could surprise me when I thought you didn't have it?"

"Both."

"So where is it, ranger?" she pressed, drawing closer.

He put his right hand behind him to grab it from a latch on the back of his cloak, but Lily caught his wrist and leaned up into him. His mouth hung open, baffled by her action, and his eyes darted from her hold on him to her face - which was steadily getting closer to his - and back.

Lily put a fair amount of pressure on the inside of his wrist to make him drop the knife into her left hand, then brought it slowly around to his front, placing it in between their faces.

Bishop stood still, shocked. He had no idea what she was doing, but he watched in curiosity and awe all the same.

She pushed the flat side up against his lips, closing his mouth with the instrument. She then neared the dagger herself and placed her lips on the other side.

Bishop was growing anxious, and her proximity to him while doing such things made the heat in his cheeks move lower. She was being very bewitching, and it bothered him. He didn't feel in control at all.

Weakly trying to dispel the mood, he said, with his lips still partially pressed against the dagger: "You don't know where this thing's been, what it's cut open."

"I don't care. I've tasted raw animal before," she said. The ranger couldn't help but interpret her words in a very different way from how she probably meant them.

Bishop was mostly nonplussed, but he managed to incredulously ask: "Are you still drugged?"

"Partially. But that doesn't make my words any less true, or my intentions, for that matter."

Was she...flirting with him?

To test her, he turned his head and bit the dagger from her grasp, grabbing her waist very suddenly with both hands. She didn't flinch, but instead just looked amused, like he was just toying with her.

While he analyzed her reaction, he took the knife out of his mouth with his right hand and placed it safely back in the holder near the back of his cloak. Her expression hadn't changed into fear or disgust. She had instead actually begun smirking, challenging him.

He placed his hand back on her firmly and walked as if straight through her, taking her along with him. After a step or two, he broke into a jog, forcing his weight against her until she had no more ground to stand on, losing her balance once her knees reached the edge of her bed. He fell on top of her and pinned her wrists above her head, staring into her face with a fiery sparkle of challenge in his eyes.

"What now, Leader? You have nowhere to go, no knight in shining armor to save you from being ravaged by the beast," he taunted quietly, nudging the cloth away from her neck with his nose and lowering his lips to the crook of her neck to breathe out against the sensitive skin there.

"I presume now you take me," she whispered simply into his ear.

He laughed. "Come on." He grinned humorously and lifted his head back up to see her expression. But she looked quite serious, her beguiling green eyes seeming to stare right through him and into his soul. His grin faded and he cleared his throat, his heartbeat quickening to a pounding.

_Was_ she serious?

One thing was for sure: this position on top of her was driving him mad more than it teased her, and his mental faculties were fading quickly. He either had to get off now or...do exactly what he'd been wanting to do for a long while. It didn't help that the smell and feel of her skin was so entrancing.

Not being able to decide fast enough, his body played the safest reaction, which was to quickly extricate himself from her and stand up.

His breaths were rapid and short, and he looked at her with a scowl. "You're playing a dangerous game, elf."

Lily shrugged and got back to her feet. "I thought you wanted to have a little fun with me."

Bishop was completely speechless again. As if invited, he looked from her hair to her boots, eying her figure. After awhile, he shook his head.

"No. You don't want that; you just like seeing me squirm," he asserted confidently. He disliked admitting that he was squirming, for that made him sound weak, but he didn't know what else to call it. Her actions didn't make any sense to him, even for the drugged state she was in. He was racking his brain trying to make sense of what she was doing, but nothing added up.

Lily shook her head in turn, eyebrows raised in defeat. "Whatever you say, Bishop." She turned to her mirror and fixed her dress. "If that's all, then kindly leave."

Bishop couldn't believe his ears. He had drugged her and nearly forced himself on her – twice – and she responded almost entirely nonchalantly, telling him only to leave if he had no more to say and wasn't going to...take her.

Despite all this, and his bafflement, he smirked.

"You're a tough nut to crack, elf." With that, he left, and Lily smiled to herself.


	30. Chapter 30

* 30 * 7/14/12

Situated near the dining room and off the secondary hallway were the rooms where most of the party slept, except for those who had chosen instead to take up a room at the inn. One of the rooms in the Keep's was Casavir's, and inside it, the paladin lay awake on his bed.

Thinking over all that had happened during the party, Casavir was both pleased and distraught. He was sorry that the night had had to end on such a sour note, but was elated that he was both able to apologize to his Leader and to...comfort her near the end.

He wondered if she had been able to fall asleep, or if she was too worried about his fight with Bishop to close her eyes just yet. He was sorry that she had to witness that. Casavir wished he could be more civil with Bishop, for Lily's sake, but he just didn't see that happening. They were far too incompatible to even be friends, let alone mutual beneficiaries in battle. He only hoped that their rivalry wouldn't cause their ultimate downfall.

But those moments he had had with Lily, close against his chest while he held her in his arms... He would never forget them, not for as long as he lived.

And so, that night, Casavir slept peacefully.


	31. Chapter 31

* 31 * 7/16/12

Bishop lay, eyes unblinking, on the bed in his room, one arm draped over his torso. He was unsure what to think about what had happened in Lily's quarters a short while ago. It didn't help his processing capabilities that the alcohol had apparently hit him harder than he'd intended, which helped explain why he was far more enraged with Casavir than he even usually was.

He put his left hand up to his head and ran his fingers slowly through his hair, feeling starved for tactile sensation. Lily had left him in an unfinished mood, and as he stared at the ceiling, the desire to yell at her for toying with him overcame him. But that twinkle in her eye had seemed so genuine, her expression completely stone on her face. How was he supposed to take that?

He remembered quite fondly how it had felt to pin her to her bed and hover above her shoulder, breathing onto her and taking in the womanly smell of her hair and skin. But with this reverie also came bitterness. She acted so uptight one minute and then was flatly encouraging him to take her the next. Was she actively trying to confuse him?

Bishop let that thought, along with its negative emotional associations, fade. In its place, he could feel her form beneath his again, and he smirked lecherously. He hadn't completely flattened her with his body, but he had left her little space to conceal the curve of her chest; it had pressed against his in a most enticing manner, and was a large part of the reason Bishop had had to release her so quickly, as if she spat poison.

In fact, he'd be very interested in intimately finding out whether she spat poison or not.

"Argh!" he shouted, throwing one of his stupid pillows against the wall in frustration at his own thoughts. Would he really have been able to take her right then and there, with no Tyr-obsessed paladin coming to interrupt him?

Bishop lingered on that idea, and automatically, his hand slowly, agonizingly slowly, made its way down his slim yet strong frame, passing over his stiff abs and going lower. He unlatched his belt and pulled it from around his hips, casting it to the side and setting his hand back on the hardness that now pulsated in its place. Thinking little, he lifted his cloak and made just enough space to pull himself out through the top of his pants. His skin was hot to the touch.

But then he stopped.

_No_, he thought firmly. He wouldn't allow her to do this to him.

Despite this, he continued Lily and his brief but heated sexual encounter entirely in his head, musing over how unpredictable she had been. Perhaps she wasn't as stiff and upright as he had taken her for. This thought made the corners of his mouth curl upward.

_If only you were here to join me now, elf, there would be no more confusion as to what I'd do to you._


	32. Chapter 32

* 32 * 7/15/12

When there weren't any extremely long quests to go on, the group usually woke up every morning around eight to discuss what had to be done and who would be going to do it that day. Today, however, was different. Given that the celebration had lasted far into the night, more than a few members of the party were oversleeping.

It was already the afternoon, and Lily was wide awake. After Bishop had left the previous night, she had slept like a baby. She wasn't sure if that was partly due to the empathogen the ranger had given her, but she wasn't feeling any adverse effects now, much to her relief. Whatever he had given her, it didn't seem to be very harmful. She felt pretty normal again, but had to admit that the mindset the drug had put her in hadn't been so bad. All it had made her do were things that she already wanted to but simply held back from.

She sat alone in the dining room, having just finished her brunch. Well, she was nearly alone. There was one other inhabitant who was just as alert as she was, despite not having gotten a wink of sleep the night before.

Khelgar bit into a large piece of chicken and proceeded to chew it loudly, but was looking off into the distance, deep in thought. Lily guessed that Khelgar's consternation dealt with their mission today: to retrieve the Belt of Ironfist from Mount Galardrym so Keros would consider listening to him again. One thing was for certain: at the end of the day, whether they had gotten the belt or not, Khelgar was going to fall over from exhaustion.

When the dwarf had found Lily the previous night, he hadn't alerted her to his presence; she had been facing away from him and toward Casavir, and Casavir had had his eyes closed. Though Khelgar wasn't particularly a quiet walker, the two had been absorbed in their own world. Thus, Lily had no idea that the dwarf had seen them. He planned on keeping it that way for as long as he could.

But, despite being as unintrusive as he was, after what he saw, even Khelgar couldn't help but wonder now about what was really going on between Casavir and Lily. Did their Leader now have feelings for the paladin who so devotedly protected her? And just how involved was Casavir becoming with Lily?

Khelgar remembered back to when Casavir first showed up at Old Owl Well. They'd all come a long way since then, had done a lot of things and saved a lot of people. After terrorizing all those orcs back then, did the Katalmach decide to seek comfort in a woman, or was it a split-second change in demeanor as soon as he saw her? When did the paladin's attraction to Lily first manifest itself so seriously? Was it in those very first few moments those months ago?

The dwarf was amused that he was even thinking about these kinds of things. They didn't affect him very much, but he couldn't help himself after catching the two embracing. He wondered what this all meant for him. Part of why he thought on it was because if they were to come along with him to Mount Galardrym, he wanted them to be fully focused on what they were doing, who they were fighting.

He hoped to Tyr that Bishop wouldn't be joining the party at the same time, because that was just asking for a problem.

As if on cue, Bishop stalked into the room. He sat down at the table right across from Lily and began piling up pieces of fruit and chicken in front of him. Khelgar grimaced. The only way this could get worse was if...

Casavir entered, causing Khelgar to bury his face in his hands. One dirty look from his holy rival and Bishop was already on the offensive.

"Got your beauty sleep?" joked the ranger, biting into an apple and looking indifferently into the paladin's face. Casavir ignored him.

"Aw, come on. There's no harm in a little bit of conversation, is there?"

"Bishop, stop badgering him," commanded Lily. "Since you're acting like that, we're leaving you behind."

"What? Please," Bishop scoffed. "You can't leave me behind. You're trekking into mountains. Dangerous territory, ladyship. You need me." Casavir winced at this proclamation.

In response, the elf solely raised an eyebrow and sat back in her seat, folding her arms.

"Fine. I won't pester your stupid, drooling puppy anymore, elf."

The paladin grit his teeth, but in the interests of letting the banter die down, said nothing. He walked around the table and sat himself down at Lily's right, earning a frown from Bishop before the ranger returned his attention to his food. Shortly thereafter, Casavir felt a light pressure on in his side. It was Lily's hand. She was trying to get his attention. He obediently turned to her, but instead of saying anything, all she did was smile at him. Not wanting this to alert Bishop, Casavir pretended to be very interested in the food on the table, though he didn't take nearly as much as Khelgar or Bishop.

Bishop hadn't been paying attention, choosing instead to scarf down his meal so Lily couldn't use the excuse that he wasn't done eating to not bring him with Khelgar and the others that day.

It was by now understood that, unless told otherwise, Casavir was a permanent member of the active party, just as Khelgar was. They were the up-front, melee support, and were very adept at working together after having so much practice. Who filled the other two available positions changed depending on the circumstances of each quest.

This meant that, if Bishop was coming, he'd be going to the left of Casavir in the marching order, just as Khelgar had dreaded. The dwarf tried his best to ignore that fact and concentrate on the task ahead of them, but for now, he had to finish his meal. He didn't want to be fighting while both exhausted and hungry.

But his thoughts drifted yet again as another realization suddenly occurred to him. Casavir had been a member of the active party ever since he first joined them. The significance of this lies in the fact that Lily handpicked the party if there were too many volunteers. She had favored the paladin ever since they first met him. Had Khelgar simply been blind to it the whole time?

But perhaps at the beginning it was actually because no one else was able to stand their ground as well as Khelgar in the front ranks, and Casavir was the first to ever come close. Since then, though, the dwarf was almost certain Casavir was kept in the party for other reasons. Content with his draw of cards, however, the paladin didn't really appear to mind that he was always chosen to go. In fact, to the contrary, he seemed exceedingly pleased about it, honored to be of such use. Khelgar wasn't even sure how Casavir would react if he was suddenly told to stay back, but he didn't imagine that the holy warrior would be very happy about it.

Taking note of what Bishop had proclaimed a few minutes prior, Lily figured the ranger would throw a fit if he wasn't chosen to go with them. She wasn't sure if it was worth stepping on Casavir's toes, though, and Khelgar almost certainly wouldn't be happy that there'd be a distraction with them at such a crucial time for his clan.

"Bishop, if you're going to come, you have to promise not to say a single thing to Casavir that would set him off. We need to work together today; getting this belt is very important," Lily commanded. The first time she'd demanded this of him, she had thought for sure he would disobey, but surprisingly, and to her immense relief, he hadn't. Now she felt she could trust him enough to understand when the time for bickering was, and when he had to be serious.

"Fine."

"Bishop," she implored. He hadn't looked at her when saying that, but now he did.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll keep my mouth shut. Mostly." He took the opportunity to stare at her for a few more seconds. He had to admit he liked the hostile attention she was giving him in that moment, and liked when she said his name in such a commanding fashion.

Casavir, obviously not thrilled with the fact that Bishop would be joining them, decided to change the subject. "My lady, it appears we are all finished. Shall we be on our way?"

"Yes, sure," Lily answered, about to get out of her chair. "Let me find out if Neeshka or Qara want to go." She considered for a second. "With Bishop using a sword, it'd probably be best for Qara to come along."

"All right, I can do that," a voice answered, as if spoken to. Qara came into the dining room, having awoken the earliest of them all that morning.

Lily waved spiritedly. "Hello! Did Neeshka want to come?"

Qara gave her a look. "Lily. She was hammered last night. You don't even want to know what she's been doing in her room for the past few hours; the smell is terrible," she responded in her trademark deadpan voice.

"Probably involves a lot of last night's feast," Bishop commented idly, beginning to pour himself a drink.

"Bishop, we're going about _now,_" the eager sorceress chastised, giving him the look she'd just given Lily.

The ranger gulped it all down in one go and got to his feet, eager for some heart-pounding action. "Well, alright. Let's go."


	33. Chapter 33

* 33 * 7/15/12

Mount Galardrym was teeming with giants, as Bishop quickly found out. The only one in the group experienced with moving quietly, he had gone and scouted out the area, finding more than a few giants, some guarding prisoners, some guarding the higher paths. One of those paths had to lead them to the Belt of Ironfist.

As he descended the steep terrain and made his way back to Lily and the others, he kept Karnwyr unsummoned. He felt his wolf companion would draw unnecessary attention, being light-colored and not camouflaged.

Lily caught sight of him. "Welcome back," she said as he rejoined the group.

"There are a handful of giants along this path who appear to have some lunch. Lunch being humans, of course. On the way to those guys, there are even more of them." He nodded. "But the paths we need to reach are at the top. Two of them. I'm not sure which goes where, but there's only one way to find out." He looked to the spellcasters. "Ready for some easy target practice?"

"Definitely," Qara affirmed.

After summoning Karnwyr, Bishop aimed his attention at Lily. "When we kill these giant bull's-eyes, perhaps I should get to feast on you instead." He raised his eyebrow suggestively.

"That's enough, Bishop," stated Casavir grimly.

Choosing not to respond to this, Lily began ascending the mountain, party in tow.

Within minutes of scouring the first fifty or so vertical meters, they spotted their first encounter: two giants facing right toward them. Qara was instantly hit with Confusion, but had a high enough will save to prevent her from turning on her teammates. Instead, she stood motionless.

Khelgar ran and engaged the larger of the two, with Casavir focusing on the other. The dwarf attempted to strike as near its heart as he could with each blow. He quickly found out that there was a lot of tough skin and bone to get through first.

The other began lifting his axe over its head to land a deadly blow on Casavir, but the holy warrior whirled his warhammer once hard against the giant's midsection - taking a good amount of sinew with it - and the axe fell out of its hand and to the side as it crumbled, the top half of its body weight crushing its own organs. Karnwyr jumped on the giant's face as soon as it crashed closer to the ground, tearing out its eyes with a vicious snarl.

Lily cast Fire Arrow on the remaining giant, and with it, took out its left arm, the limb falling cleanly from its shoulder.

The giant howled and grimaced, eyes aflame. It used its remaining arm to pick up a nearby stone, lunging completely forward to launch it at Lily's chest in revenge.

It hit her dead-center.

Casavir witnessed this, but couldn't get to her in time. **"**_**Lily!**_**"** he shouted, horrified. From this distance, he could only watch as Lily's limp form instinctively dropped her staff and began falling over the edge.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he witnessed Bishop emerge in a flash and grab Lily around the waist, dropping his falchion and digging his boots deep into the earth while locking his other arm around a nearby tree. After a moment, Lily stopped falling and she frantically threw her arms around Bishop's neck, quickly bringing herself back to her feet and working to regain her balance.

Khelgar had taken that pause to slash the giant's lowered head open right down the center. "They're focusin' on our spellcasters," he observed angrily. "More than just this one will pay for that."

Lily's frightened eyes were locked on Bishop's. "Bishop, I..." She searched for words, but was floored. "Thank you," she mustered, tightening her arms around him ever so slightly as she began to calm down. He didn't seem to mind. The ranger's eyes were much more inviting in that moment than she'd ever seen them before, and she perceived a grin starting to tug at the corners of his mouth. She felt herself get lost for a brief crack, wanting to hug him closer in gratitude, but deciding against it. He _was_ already still holding onto her back with both of his arms.

Casavir just looked away. Bishop had definitely deserved thanks, not just from Lily, but also from the paladin himself.

Lily slowly disengaged herself from the ranger, but was able to catch a slight flicker of disappointment in his amber chasms as she did so. He straightened and dropped his arms to aid her escape, however, and immediately, all traces of affection and kindness in his demeanor disappeared.

"Well, well, seems these guys like to play dirty," Bishop said, but now, actual anger could be detected beneath his sarcastic reply. He picked up Lorne's falchion. "If that's the case, then I'm going to go back to using my bow so this doesn't happen again." With that, he placed the falchion in his bag and retrieved his weapon of choice, the longbow. Now if he spotted these bastards grabbing a weapon, he could immediately shoot them down where they stood, no longer having any need for proximity.

"It **won't** happen again," Casavir stated firmly, walking toward Lily and stopping in front of her. "Are you all right, my lady?" He cast Lay on Hands and began healing her chest wound...well, without the laying-on-hands part.

"I'm fine, Casavir, thank you."

"Forgive me. I left your side just the moment before. I could not make it to you in time."

"I understand." Not wanting to play the two against each other, Lily refrained from mentioning how glad she was that Bishop _had_ been close enough to save her. But she didn't begrudge Casavir. He really had left her side for only a moment. It had been her fault for not staying back any farther.

...On second thought, that could've possibly been a worse situation, since if the stone had still hit her, not even Bishop's agility would've been able to save her. She was just happy to be alive and not minced meat at the bottom of the crag.

"Do we have any Dispel scrolls?" Lily asked. No one responded. "Then let's just rest for a moment. Qara will hate us if we keep her the way she is now."

After a minute or so, with Qara being returned to her senses (albeit scowling for feeling useless), Casavir gently asked, "Are you fine to go on, my lady?"

More giant-bashing action would replace her languorously-subsiding fear with determination.

"Yes, let's go."


	34. Chapter 34

_**Ceye's note**__: Holy moly. I have no idea why, but my readership just jumped by like 100 views in one day, so here's a bonus chapter! Definitely not complaining. Hi, everyone! And hello to my one Polish reader, who has been one of the most consistent readers of this story. What's up? =)_

...

* 34 * 7/15/12

Elanee scouted the Keep. When no one was around to notice, she departed and made her way to the inn, using her skills in stealth to avoid drawing attention from the workers in the courtyard. She clandestinely entered and then dropped her arms to her sides, relaxing. The druid casually walked into Bishop's room as if she belonged there, and drew no attention because of it.

Once inside, she looked for any sign of Lily having been inside. She had a strange hunch ever since this morning that things had changed between her Leader and Bishop. Bishop had angrily gone back to this room after Casavir drew close to Lily the previous night, and yet this morning, her Leader and the ranger were speaking as if no such issue had occurred. Perhaps Bishop simply always bounced back like that, but she had a feeling that that wasn't it, and she wanted to find out exactly what had happened.

While looking around his room, she glimpsed a mark on the wall directly opposite the door. When she peered closer, she gasped. There was blood! She'd be willing to wager that it was Bishop's; he seemed prone to losing his temper often enough that the chances of him eventually doing something like ramming his fist into the wall were pretty high.

He had clearly gotten extremely angry, most likely from what he'd seen, but if he was really that upset, how could he have forgiven her so quickly? Elanee wanted to find out.

And exterminate any feelings they might have for each other.


	35. Chapter 35

* 35 * 2/25/13

The party reached the left side of the top of the mountain, where only one obvious path lay. It was narrow and awfully quiet, though, so they kept on their guard while passing through. Sure enough, after a bit of walking, the party found themselves spying on a camp of fire giants.

"Agh, more of these guys. Wonder if they've got the belt?" Khelgar espoused as quietly as he could.

"You just don't like them because they remind you of how insignificant you are," Qara jibed.

"What?! That's not it at all!" He laughed nervously. "I just don't like them claimin' this mountain as their own territory!"

"It doesn't matter. They won't be here much longer," Bishop asserted.

"What do we do, Leader?"

Lily considered for only a moment. "Let's attack them head on, no guile needed. Besides, I don't think Khelgar could handle being quiet and agile," she chirped. Khelgar groaned at his friends double-teaming him.

"Are you feeling up to being in the front ranks again, Casavir?" she asked.

"Yes, my lady; I feel I have fully healed with Zhjaeve's help." He nodded his agreement appreciatively. Lily grinned.

Bishop narrowed his eyes. "Then let's go," he demanded.

Khelgar blew their cover and rushed at the giants, Casavir at his side and the rest of the party immediately behind them. Expecting an immediate fight like those with the other giants, they were surprised when the one in the center – presumably the Fire Giant King – barely moved at all, or show any kind of aggression. Because of this, the party stopped right before him.

"Whoa, hey there, little ones. What's the rush?"

"Ya have the Belt of Ironfist, don't ya? Give it over," Khelgar commanded. The Fire Giant King grinned.

For the next few minutes, the King taunted Khelgar about the dwarven king Loudram simply having given the Belt of Ironfist away like a coward. As the conversation continued, Khelgar's mood and spirit grew more and more sour, and he looked to Lily, as if asking permission to starting lopping off heads.

Seeing the two exchange a glance, the Fire Giant King said, "Well, hold on, now. I'll give the Belt of Ironfist to you if you want it so badly. You'll have to do something for me, though." He explained about Tholapsyx, the dragon located on the other side of the top of the mountain. Khelgar sensed a trap, and so did Lily, but the dwarf still waited for her word to start attacking.

Lily looked the Fire Giant King in the eye. "I don't believe you." Khelgar gave her an appreciative look.

"My lady, shouldn't we at least give him the benefit of the doubt?" Casavir inquired, a bit surprised. He felt she was being too hasty in her decision.

"The guy's clearly a traitor," Khelgar reasoned, pointing at the giant with his waraxe.

"I don't believe him either. He's been standing there putting Khelgar down for minutes now. I think he just likes to play with others' emotions," Qara added.

"He's irritating as hell, that's for sure," Bishop agreed.

"Well, look at that: a majority vote. Looks like your head's on a stick tonight." Khelgar smiled widely at the King.

The Fire Giant King looked intrigued. "You're not as stupid as you look, little ones."

Lily didn't wait for more taunting; she began casting Isaac's Lesser Missile Storm, and at this cue, both Khelgar and Casavir rushed in to attack with Qara and Bishop in tow.


	36. Chapter 36

* 36 * 3/4/13

When the fighting was over, Khelgar had only regained some of his positive countenance. The words the Fire Giant King had used to taunt him about Loudram still stuck in his mind, and he was having a hard time focusing. Lily noticed.

"Khelgar, you know that was a load of bull."

"I'd think so too, but I've heard somethin' about that before..." he explained sadly.

Lily switched tactics. "Well, even if it is true, do the actions of your former king really say anything about you? One dwarf supposedly being a coward doesn't mean all of his race are cowards."

Khelgar looked at her weakly and heaved a sigh. "I guess you're right. We've got the Belt of Ironfist, anyhow," he added.

"That's right, we do. Now how about we go and deal with that dragon we just heard about? I'll bet she has some goodies."

Qara and Bishop were pleasantly surprised by this. Lily wasn't trying to defend the dragon or make up a story about how it might be innocuously present on the mountain, something that seemed more her personality. At Lily's comment, the lines of Casavir's face hardened, and it looked to the party as if he was going to do the honors instead.

"Pardon me, my lady, but what if the dragon is here to flee some other force? Perhaps it's not harming anyone."

"I just don't find that likely. I won't rule it out, but if that dragon tries to attack or beguile us like those giants did, then we're...well..." She trailed off, trying to think of a friendly way of telling Casavir they were "going to kill it".

But Qara saved the day. "Then we're going to bash its head in."

Lily chuckled. "Right."

Casavir's face was dour once more, but he understood. "Alright."

"Let's keep moving."

The path to the other area of the mountain was mostly clear, given the group had already cleaned out most of the fire giants on their way up. Near a path leading deeper into the mountains, the party found a boulder, one that probably could have been used to squash some of the giants they'd already killed.

"Oh well," Lily said bemusedly. They were all huddled fairly close together now, and Lily, Qara, and Casavir took the opportunity to buff everyone up with spells and resistances before continuing on.

They traversed the last pathway for about half an hour before coming to yet another clearing where they found Tholapsyx, a large, purple dragon seemingly guarding something in its static position. Lily looked between its legs and saw the glint of gold; she wondered if a dragon this greedy could really be here for any innocent reason.

"Hello," the dragon purred. They could instantly tell it was a female. She looked _very_ happy to see them. "What brings you here? Come closer."

Bishop was already on edge. The dragon looked like she wanted nothing more than to eat them.

Lily shrugged. "We heard about you from some fire giants on the other side of the mountain and came over to see."

Tholapsyx bared her teeth at the mention of them. "Oh, _those_ giants. Though, of course, to me, they're not so giant at all. They are still a large thorn in my side, however. I can't leave for more than a day without them trying to confiscate my hoard." She eyed them evilly. "That's where you come in," she flirted.

"Not this again," Khelgar moaned.

"We're not here to do anyone's dirty work. Besides, they're already dead. I see you have some stuff we might be able to use, though..." Lily insinuated, then seemed to remember something. "Tell me, have you ever eaten human before?"

Tholapsyx laughed at the silly question. "Of course I have!"

"There's your answer, Casavir," Lily called.

Casavir nodded, though he still felt a bit unsure. What if the humans had been trying to hurt...

In the midst of his thoughts, the party had already charged. Casavir quickly rushed forward and retook his position.

The battle was rather long and surprisingly tough, with plenty of rebuffs needed to be cast and potions to be used. Casavir even had to drop back from his normal, tanking position and instead focus on healing the others.

Finally, with much damage done to the party and many materials used up, Tholapsyx fell. Khelgar immediately sighed in relief, having gotten tired of getting fire breath straight to the face seemingly a million times in a row, even despite his Greater Stone Skin. With Tholapsyx having fallen, the party could see past her body to the mounds of riches stacked behind her.

"Jackpot." Qara smirked.

Lily whistled. "We'll need some help taking all this back. Let's make sure all the giants in the area are dead and get a crew from the Keep up here as soon as possible." The others agreed. Seeing an ore vein in the corner of the clearing, they took note of it before at last descending the mountain and heading to the Ironfist Stronghold.


	37. Chapter 37

* 37 * 7/16/12, 3/4/13

After finally asserting Khelgar's rightful position as the leader of the Ironfist clan – cementing the Ironfist clan as an ally – and taking down Keros's ego a notch, the party had returned to Crossroad Keep for a feast. They had even invited some of the dwarves back to the Keep to partake in it; Lily knew this would be greatly appreciated and would likely strengthen the alliance further.

Bishop took a few bites and then headed to the library, surprising the group. He apparently wanted to try to get Aldanon to talk some sense about the King of Shadows. Lily herself also didn't take long to eat. She was pretty satisfied with the day's events and just wanted to relax and unwind. In her room, she sat daydreaming in a chair opposite the door, which she had left wide open.

After a few minutes, Lily spotted Bishop as he passed by the doorway on his way back to the Great Hall. "Bishop," she called softly.

His ears finely attuned, the ranger turned to face Lily, questioning in his face.

"Come here," she requested, her eyes agleam.

Normally he wouldn't listen to that kind of request, would ignore her and go back to what he was doing. But something about the way her gaze held his so urgently in that second made him come close to her.

As soon as he drew closely enough, Lily wrapped her arms around the ranger's waist and pulled him near to her chest, turning her head to the side and settling it on his collarbone.

Bishop stood stunned, his arms raising to about waist-level in hesitation. What was this for? He had half a mind to push her away until he knew exactly what she was trying to do. When many seconds had passed and Bishop still hadn't returned the gesture, Lily stepped away solemnly, but didn't look into his face.

He caught her expression for only a moment, but her dejection was stark. "I wanted to thank you for not letting me fall," she explained, her tone a mixture of different emotions.

This struck a chord in Bishop's stone heart. He remembered back to how he felt when he lunged over to save her, and his arms slowly, very slowly, wrapped around her small frame, pulling her back into place.

There was an audible gasp.

That moment, as he recalled the emotions that had overtaken him, he lost some of his reservations. "You're...welcome."

Lily looked surprised, but gave no response. After a few moments:

"Bishop, you're really holding me," Lily commented with a sudden, very light flush, referring to how tightly she was pressed against him now.

He scowled as if stung by the tender word she'd used. His arms dropped to his sides, and he almost seemed like he regretted humoring her hug.

Lily stood at arm's length away from him. Bishop's face was serious, the most serious she'd ever seen it. For some reason, this made her laugh. He was such a crude jokester at every other time, and right after he finally showed some affection, he became stone-faced.

"You're so severe," she quipped.

Bishop hadn't expected playfulness to be her response, and his face showed it in his bewilderment.

Only giggling, Lily excused herself from the room and decided to be with the others after all, but not before stopping at the door and looking back at him.

He said only, "Hnh." His expression had cooled in those few seconds. Lily shook her head bemusedly and walked out the door, rejoining the dwarves in the Great Hall.


	38. Chapter 38

_**Ceye's **__**note**__: Hello Italy, New Zealand, Ukraine, UK, and US! I have at least one pretty avid reader from each of those places! Happy to have you. :D_

...

* 38 * 7/16/12, 3/4/13

With the feast over and the dwarves having returned to the Ironfist Stronghold, the group now hungered for a new mission on the horizon. They didn't care what it was, but they enjoyed being out and about, each for their different reasons. Bishop liked being outside, Khelgar liked fighting, Qara liked not being bored, and Casavir and Lily liked helping people.

A mission seemingly specifically designed around Casavir and Lily's interests caught their attention the next morning. A woman had sent word that her cat breeding had gone wrong, and now her son was trying to quell their newly-acquired taste for human flesh. It wasn't working. His girlfriend even had to beat them off with pots and pans to keep them from tearing into her flesh.

Lily, Khelgar, Casavir, Bishop, and Qara set off once more to get rid of the problem, though it didn't sound like a very hard or particularly rewarding mission. There was at least a bit of coin in it, though.

The party came upon a clearing with a few small houses. There was a halfling man standing in front of one of the houses, frantically waving them near.

"Yes, yes, please, we need your help! We were able to lure them into the basement with some ferret carcasses and lock them inside, but they're about to break through!"

Lily winced at the mention of ferret carcasses, but nodded and beckoned the party to follow her inside. "Watch out for the doorway," she cautioned.

"Wha? What's wrong with the doorway?" asked Khelgar, who was already inside. When he examined it, however, he saw the problem. It was clearly far too low for the much taller Casavir and Bishop to enter without ducking. They got in without a hitch, both being quite mindful of their surroundings at all times. "Oh," he said lamely.

Qara just rolled her eyes and stepped in. "Like I'd miss something that obvious."

As soon as the party made their way down the hallway, a loud roaring noise was heard.

"That's them," the halfling said, quite literally shivering in his boots. "Please don't underestimate them; they're vicious!"

"Then maybe you should tell your girlfriend to stop breeding them," Qara said. The disgust on her face made her seem like she'd just ingested dirt.

"Thought it was his mom who bred the critters," remarked Bishop.

The halfling suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Yes, well... Please do hurry, I imagine they're tearing everything to pieces down there in their rage!"

"Casavir, can you break down the door?"

"Verily, my lady." The paladin positioned himself in front of the door and, after a quick look over his shoulder to verify everyone was ready, bashed his shoulder armor against it. It cracked where it had been impacted, but stayed shut. He drew back once more and went at it again, and this time, it swung right open, stunning one of the giant cats immediately behind it.

Khelgar rushed in and started swinging his dwarven waraxe at two cats that had lunged at Casavir. Focusing first on dodging Khelgar's blows, the paladin extracted himself from the area of effect and moved deeper into the basement so as to alleviate some of the pressure on the bottle-necked staircase. Moving toward his position was Qara, using Casavir as bait as she cast Orb of Acid on the nearest overgrown kitty.

Lily cast from her position right behind and a bit to the side of Bishop at the top of the stairs. The ranger was putting arrows through whichever beast came closest to them, with Lily as support in case he missed one. If they got too close, Bishop could quickly switch to using his falchion again to draw attention away from Lily, but they seemed to be doing just fine as they were.

The cats were vicious, but were also surrounded on all sides. One managed to claw Casavir's exposed face, but he had retreated fast enough that it was only a shallow wound. Thereafter he returned its hostility with a hammer to the top of its head, crushing in its skull and leaving it immediately lying lifeless and flat on the floor. Qara stepped on top of the furball with malevolent satisfaction and used Isaac's Lesser Missile Storm in order to deal with the next one while also not completely destroying the basement.

Qara was normally in Overkill casting mode, but Lily had suggested she switch to Controlled so they could leave afterward while having done as little damage to the poor man's house as was possible. For that reason, she wasn't having as much fun as she usually was, but being able to decimate large cats - which she hated with a passion - almost made up for it.

Within a minute or so more, they had slaughtered all the remaining beasts. The stench of death became overwhelming in the cramped basement, however, and so they quickly retreated back to the main part of the household to escape it.

The halfling looked at the mess from the safety of the top of the stairs. "Whew. I won't be opening that door again for awhile, at least not until someone comes to clean it up."

"Thankfully, that's not our job," Qara stated dismissively.

"No worries, my dears, I already know a man for the job. Works for cheap because he has his own animals to feed back home."

The party exchanged glances. Hopefully this other man wouldn't go overboard with breeding his beloved pets like this family did.

"Speaking of payment, where is that woman?" Bishop inquired.

"She's over here," explained the halfling, leading them to another room in the house. When they were all for the most part blocking the doorway leading in, he opened it.

Inside, there was a full litter of the same breed of cat that they'd just slaughtered, only these were the tiny versions, the ones that hadn't gotten to thirst yet for human blood. They were just old enough to not need their mother anymore. Mini Maine Coons. Their ears had tips like that of a lynx and their tails were thick and puffy. One of them, the smallest one with light-colored paws, looked over to Lily, cocked its head, and mewed.

A strangled squealing sound came from between Lily's lips, and they all turned to her. "Sorry." She immediately felt embarrassed. Bishop raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, yes, well, hi, Mother!" the halfling said, pointing their attention to the woman standing in the middle of the little demons.

"Why, hello, my darling," the woman returned as the kittens climbed all over her. She was quite attractive for what they suspected was her age.

"What will you do to these little ones?" Lily couldn't help but ask.

The halfling nodded so rapidly they thought his head would roll right off his shoulders. "Right, yes, well... Seeing as what happened, we will unfortunately look into putting them down as soon as tonight."

At this, Lily nodded solemnly, the sparkle having disappeared from her eyes. "I understand." But her mouth contorted into a sad frown.

The woman agreed. "Indeed, my love; we cannot chance that happening again. We don't know who we'd call the next time!"

No one was paying attention to her rambling. Everyone was focused how she had started her sentence.

_Did she just call her own son "my love"?_

The halfling's cheeks colored themselves bright red. "Right, right, right, right, well, here's your money and the cats are dead and that's that, so thank you!" He raced through his words and showed them all back out through the front door, closing it abruptly behind him.

"Eeeewwwwwwwww!" Qara exclaimed as soon as he was out of hearing range.

"What kind of son dates his own mother?" Khelgar asked, baffled.

"I'm not so sure dating is the _only_ thing they do as a couple," Bishop said with a laugh.

Casavir looked unnerved, but kept his silence.

Lily also said nothing. She wasn't focused much on the affairs between the mother and son; she was moreso dejected at the thought of the kittens being put down without even having started their bloodthirsty training. Ever since she had lost her ferret familiar to an orc, Lily hadn't had an animal companion at her side, which made her sympathize with the poor, unknowing kittens. She scolded the family privately for having turned the cats evil.

"Let's get back to the Keep," she demanded, a bit more harshly than she had intended. Bishop noticed but said nothing, choosing only to start walking back toward Crossroad Keep first to coax the others into doing the same.


	39. Chapter 39

* 39 * 7/16/12

Lily was irritable the entire trip back, but to spare her teammates from being too affected by this, she kept her mouth shut. Most of the others noticed and stayed quiet themselves.

When they stepped over the threshold to the Keep, Lily immediately branched off to have supper in the dining room. Casavir and Khelgar joined her, but Qara headed off to the library, likely to pick a fight with Sand. Bishop stopped in the dining room to have a quick bite. He finished quickly and caught a glimpse of Lily's face before he went out, frowning. He then left, probably to have some ale at the inn before turning in for the night.

Lily placed her elbows on the table improperly and held her head up with her hands, staring off into the distance. Casavir eyed her, but kept eating. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but not only did he already think he knew, but he didn't want to set her off. So he left her alone.

_Maybe I should have a drink too_, Lily thought. She didn't remember what she was like when drunk; the other night didn't count because she wasn't certain how many of her actions had actually been due to alcohol instead of the empathogen.

She sighed and stood up, having lost her appetite. Just as Khelgar was about to ask what was wrong, she walked - well, moreso _stomped_ - out of the room. Casavir did not follow.

She headed to her quarters, planning on trying to get to bed early. As soon as she flopped on her bed, however, she knew it wasn't going to happen.

Her ferret had died attacking an orc mage that had been raining down splash damage on her. Normally the little thing only cast spells, but seeing its owner in such dire straits, and having run out of magic, it lunged at the opponent's throat and was quickly killed and thrown aside. Lily had grown angry and cast a spell that finished the orc off, but sadly could not revive her pet. She had buried it under a tree and left it behind, but still thought about her little companion from time to time.

One hour. Two hours. Two-and-a-half hours passed until Lily flat out gave up on sleeping and, figuring everyone else had gone to bed, marched her way to the tavern. She had calmed down, but seemed to have a lot of energy left to spend all of the sudden, and the only person who'd be up at this time would be Bishop.

She went over to Bishop's room and knocked several times, but received no answer. After a minute of waiting, she went in, only to find that the ranger wasn't there.

"Huh. He must've gone outside."

Lily sat down in one of the two chairs at the small table in the center of Bishop's room. She peeked over inside the tankard left on the table. It still had a few drops of ale at the bottom. He had had a drink before leaving.

She looked around his room curiously. There was a bookshelf, but not much on it; most of the Keep's book supply was in the main library. On it, she saw a few small weapons and bracers. The other pieces of armor were to be found in a pile in the corner. For housing a male, the room was remarkably organized, or at least as much as it could be being a relatively small space.

Set against the wall opposite the bookshelf was Bishop's bed, long enough to accommodate him, but not very wide. There were two small pillows laid on top of it, one behind the other, probably for proper neck support.

The door suddenly opened, startling Lily. Sure enough, it was the ranger, who was glaring at her with one hand still on the door handle.

"Hello," she greeted him, aware that she was in his territory. She got to her feet and made to leave, but Bishop didn't move from the doorway.

"Um?" she said, staring into his face in confusion.

He stepped into his room and closed the door behind him, still saying nothing. At that moment, Lily realized that he had his other arm held behind his back.

When he caught her searching, Bishop brought his arm around to his front. Dangling from the scruff of its neck was the baby Maine Coon with light paws that had mewed at Lily earlier. It now did so again in confused greeting.

"Oh my goodness!" Lily cried, tears forming in her eyes. She cupped her hands beneath Bishop's and he dropped the kitten lightly into her grasp. She held it like it was a precious jewel, and a genuine smile quickly found its way to her lips.

Bishop said nothing and went to sit in the seat Lily had occupied until not too long ago. After a few seconds of being absolutely fascinated with the little critter, Lily turned to face Bishop.

"How did you get him?"

Bishop chuckled. "Don't you know better than that by now? I snuck in and took i-him," he finished. "If they're gonna kill them all anyway, I figured why not?" He turned his face away to hide his expression, in case she misinterpreted his act as kindness or something.

Lily held the kitty close to her chest and closed her eyes, thinking the situation was pretty amusing. She didn't know that Bishop even tolerated cats, let alone liked them.

"Keep him away from Karnwyr, though; I don't know how he'll take to the little furball."

Lily nodded ecstatically. Without being invited, she sat down in the seat opposite the ranger and set the kitten down on the floor so he could run around. "Do you mind?"

Bishop waved it off. "Nah, his teeth won't be able to gnaw through that armor anytime soon." As if challenged, the kitten made his way over to the armor, but after taking one trial bite, quickly lost interest.

"Leather doesn't taste too good," Bishop agreed.

Lily was laughing. She liked how spunky the new recruit was. When he got older he'd fit right in with Khelgar.

"Did I tell you how I lost my old familiar?" Lily suddenly asked. Bishop was taken aback. He had never really had a conversation with Lily about her history; most of the chattering they'd done was about him for the purpose of finding out whether or not he could be trusted. The bits and pieces he knew of her past came from Daeghun and Duncan, and from being from a similar place to West Harbor himself.

Bishop simply shook his head, and Lily told him of how her ferret had sacrificed itself to try to save her. She apologized at the end of her short story, thinking it was silly to vest that much care in such a small animal.

"Nonsense. Beasts are often more reliable than men," Bishop commented. He and Karnwyr had traveled a long road together, and he definitely trusted the creature more with his life than he did most of the human companions he was forced to tolerate.

After a bout of silence, Bishop cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"What about the other animals we found today? You know, the ones that call each other pet names but are actually related."

"I don't see much wrong with that, actually," Lily admitted indifferently, shrugging.

Bishop looked surprised at this. "Really? Then you don't mind that they might be spending the night together at this very moment?" he continued with a lascivious smirk, seeing how far he could take it.

"Not really." Lily didn't continue, but Bishop was interested.

More silence.

"Why not?" he ventured.

Lily was quiet for awhile, her eyes averted.

"Who are we to judge? Does it really matter what other people do in their own homes?" she said simply after awhile, shaking her head lightly and looking up at him. She looked...sad, and contemplative. They held each other's gaze for several seconds.

"Yeah," was all he said, not in agreement, but in acknowledgment, breaking her gaze and leaning back in his chair. He stared up at the ceiling, putting his arms behind his head.

Lily looked back over at the kitten. It had chosen to curl up on the leather that it couldn't eat, its puffy tail gently thumping against the ground.

"So many have gotten hurt because of what others think of what they do when no one else is involved." She seemed to be talking to no one in particular. "People being massacred for trying new ideas, being burned at the stake for being homosexual. Who cares?"

Bishop was listening, looking at her with his head still tilted up toward the ceiling. His eyes flickered back to the ceiling before he spoke: "I think they don't want to admit that deep down, they don't mind at all, but are too absorbed in 'religious and traditional values' made up centuries ago to realize they're doing a great deal of harm by being intolerant; that they're the real problem."

All was quiet.

"Is that why you don't like Casavir?" Lily asked in a low tone, only half-expecting him to answer.

"Part of it." Bishop allowed his chair to set itself back on all fours before continuing, "He lives his life in complete denial. Denial of all the instincts and urges that make us what we are," he explained with a hint of bitterness, seeming to be mostly talking to himself now. "At least demons and beasts accept how they are and live without ever wondering what some imaginary lord will think of them."

"I see." Lily considered that for a few minutes. She now understood Bishop's thoughts a bit better, and why he was so diametrically opposed to the paladin at every turn. She knew that Casavir and Bishop lived their life in very different fashions, but she hadn't known that Bishop also despised _anyone_ who was too caught up in their own beliefs to see a different point of view. That explained why he wasn't too kind to Elanee the Druid and her nature-worshiping, either.

Lily got out of her seat and approached the small cat. He looked up at her with wide eyes, hugging his paws closer to his chest.

"Come on, Ounce, let's go," she said, extending her hand to him. He sniffed it.

"Ounce?" Bishop questioned.

"Because he's so small," Lily explained with a grin. "At least for now." Ounce jumped on her arm, and as soon as he did so, Lily stood up, making him latch onto her, eyes bugging out. She pulled him around to her torso and supported him with both arms. From this height, he looked around the room curiously.

"I like him," Lily said of Ounce with a grin aimed at Bishop. The ranger nodded solemnly and got to his feet, following her out into the main part of the tavern to get a refill on his tankard.

For some reason, Lily followed him while he was getting his refill. He took a gulp, then set it down and eyed her.

"Good night, Bishop," is all she said.

"Yeah. Don't let him claw through your silken sheets, ladyship." He watched her leave, then returned to his room. There, he shook his head bemusedly and took another gulp of his ale.


	40. Chapter 40

* 40 * 7/16/12

Lily walked back to the Keep, Ounce in her arms. When she passed by a training dummy, however, the kitten started meowing uncontrollably, staring at it. She followed the cat's eyes and didn't see anything particularly special. She walked closer to the dummy, keeping an eye on the cat, until she was standing right next to it. Ounce stuck out a paw and clawed at the material that held the dummy together. Lily immediately took the kitty out of reach.

"You're a mischievous one, aren't you?"

"Mow," was all she got in return.

The sun elf grabbed hold of one of the Keep's heavy doors with a hand, keeping the cat high up on her collarbone to prevent him from falling. When she was inside, she figured she'd finish what she started in the dining room, and also let the little cat have some food.

She neared the dining room just in time to see Casavir awake and walking to his room.

"Good evening, my lady," he greeted her. Taking a good look at the cat, he asked, "Is that not...?"

"The kitty we saw earlier, yes," she affirmed. As if wanting to answer himself, Ounce stiffened regally and replied with a meow.

Lily thought it would be cute to see Casavir's reaction, so she put the cat up to his chest, waiting for him to outstretch his arms. Ounce was impatient, though, and simply jumped from her hands onto Casavir's shoulder, using the serrated edges of the paladin's armor to balance himself. Lily giggled.

Casavir grinned, a reaction Lily wasn't expecting. He raised a finger to the cat to let him sniff it, then started petting him. When Ounce was satisfied, he used his vantage point to take in the view of the Keep, looking every which way.

"Bishop fetched him from the house we visited," she explained. To her surprise, Casavir's bright expression didn't change at this proclamation.

"Will he be taking the place of your ferret?" he asked gently.

"How do you know about that?" Lily inquired, baffled.

"You told me a few weeks ago, my lady."

"I do remember, but... Well, I didn't think you were actually listening," she confessed.

"I listened, my lady."

Lily was impressed. The talk they'd had weeks ago was mostly idle banter, but Casavir had clearly been paying more attention to her words than she had originally thought.

"I'm not sure if he'll become my familiar. That's up to him. He might be more interested in terrorizing Aldanon and Sand in the library," she joked, only half-kidding.

Casavir decided to take a risk and bring up a touchy subject. "I'm glad your mood has improved."

Lily couldn't help but start laughing at Casavir, having a cat crawl all over him while he spoke.

She smiled. "I am too. I was sad to leave the kittens to be put down, but we can't take care of them all. Ounce seems like he'll already be a handful."

"Ounce. Is that your name?" asked Casavir of the kitten. Ounce looked at the paladin's face with wide eyes.

Lily had never seen Casavir like this before. Did he like all animals, or just cats?

"Forgive me. I did not mean to prevent you from reaching your destination."

"I was just heading to the dining room to finish whatever was left. I figured this little guy would probably want to eat, too," she explained, encouraging Ounce to jump back into her arms.

"Do you mind if I join you?" asked the paladin.

"Why not?" She wasn't really that tired just yet, what with the renewing excitement of getting the kitten. They went to sit down in the dining room, and immediately, Ounce jumped onto the table and started tearing up a piece of chicken.

"Oh, there he goes," she chuckled. Lily gathered some food for her plate, but only included one or two pieces of meat. The rest of what she grabbed mostly consisted of fruits and vegetables. Casavir only had a glass of water.

They both sat quietly while Lily took her time eating. By now, Ounce was already full, content to plop on the table and move his tail back and forth.

There was a pause in her actions.

"What do you think about love?"

Casavir nearly spit out his water. "...My lady?" he inquired nervously.

"Those two we met earlier, where we found Ounce," Lily elaborated. "Do you think that can be love?"

Casavir relaxed, his pulse going back to normal after a few heated seconds. He thought on it.

"I am not sure," he admitted.

She fully turned to him. "Is that your religion speaking, or you?" she challenged.

"My faith is a large part of my life, and indeed, in its view, incestuous relations are wrong. But I would not say that religion is ultimately influencing me to think a certain way."

"Why not?"

"There is a part of me that must admit that it is harmless, what those two do with themselves. So there is a conflict, and I am not entirely certain of the way I feel."

"You just told me how you feel. You feel it's harmless, but your faith muddles what you think."

Casavir considered this. "Perhaps." Normally, he'd definitely disagree, but the way Lily was explaining it just made sense to him at that moment.

"Have you always been religious?"

The paladin's mouth now was in a hard line, a familiar expression.

"No," he said, after a very long silence. Lily encouraged him to continue, and her influence pressed him further.

"Faith in Tyr is something that I would say I...learned, rather than felt, in the beginning," he revealed. "Growing up, I was encouraged to do the right thing; that is, the thing that Tyr would desire of me," he clarified.

"But you disagreed with what Tyr wanted you to do?"

"I did. I did not see how common men could claim to understand the wishes of a god. It made very little sense to me. But I continued listening to what I was told; I went on learning about holy scriptures and going through the motions, but I never took a word of any of it to heart." Casavir sighed. "Until one day, when my brother was killed."

Lily gasped. She had had no idea. "Please, go on," she implored. Casavir exhaled in melancholy again, but Lily's desire to know was enough reason for him to continue. The paladin noticed that, now that he felt close to someone, he could feel the words start to slip from between his lips, as if he'd wanted to get this out for awhile, to tell someone of disturbing matters that still plagued his mind.

"Just like me, he hadn't believed. Truly believed. And that was what the rest of the village said killed him. He was always reckless, and skipped the service whenever he could. I looked after him as best as I could, but I could not save him from himself."

Casavir took a sip of his water, cleared his throat, and continued. "He had gone out that night to meet with a little blonde girl - one just as godless as he was - from a nearby village. We found out afterward that that was his escape. Every night, rain or shine, that I did not drag him back to service, he would meet that girl, and they would play together – though she was more than five years his junior. I had found and spied on him that night, chasing her around the forest almost invisibly in the dark and being chased back, like two careless sprites. They seemed immortal, like nothing could touch them in their bliss."

"When they were out of breath and sat down to rest, they made a promise to each other. They would run away, and leave this life behind, they said, because both villages were built on the foundation of religion, and the religion of others had only caused them unhappiness."

"Seemingly not more than a moment later, the dark clouds howled, and a harsh wind began to brew. I ran after them, but they had gone too deep into the woods that they knew so well." Casavir paused for a second before continuing. "Eventually I caught up with them, and called out my brother's name. He looked at me, terrified. It was as if all the fear he had ever felt was focused on me in that moment, as if _I_ were the tornado."

Casavir took another pause, clenching his fist the slightest bit. "My brother had no idea I was just as godless as he was. He thought when I read from the holy book that I would become a preacher, or a Templar. He was wrong; I just never ran away," the paladin added through a stiff jaw, seeming to be talking to himself now.

"And then, before he had even looked away from me, the clouds opened up and struck him where he stood. I watched helplessly as the girl screamed from secondary shock, having held his hand the entire time. The girl died instantly, but my brother lived. I ran to his side as he collapsed and began to lift him onto my shoulders to take him back home, but he stopped me."

Casavir swallowed.

"He said, with tears in his eyes, 'Don't return me to that infernal place.'" He paused. "I still wonder if he understood the irony of what he was saying in that moment."

There was a moment of silence.

"He died shortly afterward, with me standing over him, looking hopelessly lost as debris whirled around me."

Casavir looked lost in his memory. Feeling Lily's eyes on him, though, he continued, to make her understand.

"After that, I no longer even considered skipping service. I did what Tyr wished of me and never again disobeyed the elders. It started to mean something from that day forward."

Lily thought that she was apparently very influential; Casavir looked like he had never told anyone of this before. He took another drink from his glass to smooth out the lump in his throat.

She finally spoke. "So you were afraid. Afraid of being godless."

"Yes."

The elf wouldn't say it at such an emotional moment, but she would call that delusion.

Still, she felt honored. "I don't know what to say. Thank you for sharing something like that with me, Casavir."

The paladin merely nodded, swept up in emotion.

They had spoken for an hour or so, and Lily's tiredness started outwardly showing. Her eyelids had grown heavy, and soon she began drifting off to sleep, and in the silence that followed, she finally succumbed and her head fell lightly against Casavir's armored shoulder.

Casavir, startled, looked down at her, nestled against him so suddenly. So beautifully. He was glad she was not awake to see his face, both because of the color of his own, as well as how he could not stop staring at her attractive features.

He himself was quickly growing tired, however. He had been on his way to his bedroom before he spotted her. Casavir thus convinced himself that resting his eyes for a few moments as well would do no harm.

Minutes later, he was brought out of his sleepy trance by Ounce, who had jumped onto the paladin's unoccupied shoulder.

Casavir looked over to his right at the unmoving figure lying still against his shoulder. He whispered, "My lady?"

No response.

He could wake her if he spoke louder, but he decided against it. It had been a long, sleepless night, and Lily deserved some rest.

Carefully, he rose from his chair, lifting Lily slowly up into his arms. As he did so, the cat jumped down from his shoulder to the floor, following the paladin as he made his way to his Leader's quarters. Casavir nudged the door open as quietly as was possible with just his armor, sliding in the open space and carrying her to her bed. From the way he was holding her, her head by his right shoulder, he could not place her on her bed the way he figured she normally slept. He slowly lowered her onto the sheets and, once finished, moved her pillows down to where her head now was. He lifted her just a slight bit to place her onto a pillow, then walked out quietly. Making sure Ounce was inside, he shut the door lightly, and returned to his room to try and fall asleep.

Part of him regretted not taking in the sight of her head against his shoulder, her face so close to his, for longer, but another part of him assured him that he had made the noble choice. Still conflicted – but feeling an indescribable peace nonetheless – his eyes finally closed for the night.


	41. Chapter 41

* 41 * 7/17/12

When Lily awoke the next morning, she felt fantastic. Partly because she woke up early enough to not feel lazy, and partly because she saw Ounce as soon as she opened her eyes.

"Hey, little guy, good morning." His eyes opened lazily at the sound of her voice. Cats had the habit of sleeping more often than being awake, so Lily wasn't very surprised. Seeing him there reminded her of the night before. How had she gotten back in her bed?

As if slapped, she sat up straight.

_Casavir! I fell asleep on him..._

A twinkle reached her eye as she imagined the paladin carrying her from the dining room to her bed. As she thought about this, her hand began stroking Ounce's fur. The kitten fell back asleep.

Lily felt like it was time for her robes to be washed. That was okay, she was sick of wearing them all the time anyway. She got herself to her feet and exited her room, making a quick stop in the dining room to gather some food and leave it on a tray in her room for Ounce. Then, she moved over to her wardrobe and picked the first reasonable outfit she found: a short-sleeved, slightly regal white top and a slightly impractical light green skirt.

The previous owner of this room apparently had far more clothes than she did, because her full wardrobe took up only about an eighth of the room allotted inside. She pulled the robe over her head, unlaced her boots, and slipped her new outfit on. She couldn't remember the last time she'd worn it; changing clothes before a mission never occupied a large space in her mind.

Lily kept her other armor on, leaving her room and scouting the main hall. Unsurprisingly, not many were up; Lily was feeling just fine, even sprightly, despite only getting a few hours of sleep, but the others probably wouldn't. She went through the Keep doors and out into the daylight and was instantaneously assaulted by the bright rays of sun that illuminated her golden brown locks, still mussed from being in a bun while she slept.

There was a cool breeze that day, and Lily felt it right on her face. It was rejuvenating, and made her feel like she wanted to go on an adventure.

It couldn't have been later than 8 AM, but she was raring to go. Her feet as if by instinct took her to the inn, but once she realized where she was going, she stopped. She didn't actually feel for a drink that moment. She twirled around and felt the wind rush through her hair, invigorating her.

_That's it. I'm going on an adventure!_


	42. Chapter 42

* 42 * 7/17/12

Bishop was looking out his window, watching the elf just outside make a complete fool of herself. He grinned at the knowledge that she probably had no idea he could see her. Maybe she had forgotten that one couldn't get inside the inn from the Keep without passing by his window.

She now was walking toward the courtyard, and he wondered if she was going outside the premises. That would certainly surprise him; he'd never heard of her leaving the Keep's walls entirely without at least a few group members by her side. What was she doing?

Bored and curious, Bishop rose to his feet and began following her. There was no particular reason to be stealthy, but he chose to be anyway, passing by the guards with ease and catching up to her in no time. Whatever she was doing, she was certainly in no rush to do it.

The patrols on duty gave her a look as she passed, surprised to see her outside by herself. They greeted her, but didn't stop her.

When she had left both the courtyard and the fields, Bishop snuck up on her, covering her mouth with a hand and turning up her head, which made her neck vulnerable.

Lily tried to shriek, but was almost entirely muffled.

"Bam, you're dead," he said with emphasis. "Do you always wander around unguarded, you idiot?" Bishop released her and she faced him.

"Bishop!" she said, relieved. "No, this is really a first. I couldn't stand to be inside anymore."

Bishop smirked. "Now you know how I feel."

The elf gathered her wits and resumed her walking, as if he wasn't there, or as if she had a greater purpose to attend to.

"Where are you going? Was that not enough demonstration that you can easily be killed out here?"

"I don't know where I'm going. Want to join me?" she asked, twirling around to look at him.

"Uh," he let out, taken by surprise. Without responding, he simply fell in stride with her, and they began walking down the path out of their property.

They marched on in silence for several minutes.

"I miss coming out into the woods like this," Lily revealed after they were many hundreds of meters away from the Keep.

"Wouldn't quite call this the woods; there are far too few wild animals and trees here. A real forest would be over in that direction." He gestured with his head.

Lily stopped. "Then let's go there!" She turned to face where he'd just indicated and redirected her walking.

Bishop looked hesitant. "I recommend against that. What, think you're gonna handle a bear that's aching for meat with your fists alone?"

"Isn't the best way to deal with bears to act very human, and purposefully do things like wave your hands in the air to look bigger and show them you're not afraid?"

Bishop almost stopped in his tracks, but instead, he merely slowed. "Yes," he confirmed, eyebrows raised. He was surprised, and not covering it up very well.

Lily laughed. "I love nature more than you give me credit for. I sit in that fortress because everyone expects me to, and the food is nice."

"Don't have to. Could tell everyone to shove it and you're going to go live in big girl territory so you can remain on your toes."

"That might actually work if I used it on the right people," Lily mused.

Bishop guffawed. She looked like she was actually considering it. At this thought, he laughed. "I wouldn't advise you to live in the woods, ladyship."

"Didn't you ask me to run away with you and do just that for a year or two?"

_Damn it._ Bishop cleared his throat, but didn't answer her question.

"You don't even have a knife with you," he continued.

"Come now, how would you know that?" Lily said with a teasing smile.

"You've got no place to put it." He grinned and eyed her blouse appreciatively; he wouldn't call it revealing, but it certainly wasn't as conservative as her wizard robes.

Suddenly, Lily reached up and drew her hair out of its band, shaking her head and letting her wavy, auburn hair fall down to her navel in front and back.

"I could put it in my hair," she said, smirking foxily at him. Bishop's lips fell open to some extent, and he stood there, completely distracted. In his stupor, she found the chance to unsheathe the skinning knife that was placed back on his front and take it for her own.

"Now who's vulnerable?" she teased with a grin.

Bishop wanted to make a comeback, but she had indeed been able to outwit him. To his amusement, though, she kept the dagger in her hand. He had never witnessed her fight with one before. Did she even know how to use it?

"You're going to hurt yourself with that thing, ladyship."

Lily looked dejected and offended by his comment. He rolled his eyes, but quickly had to refocus, for she tried to slice up at his neck with her new-found weapon. Speedy and now attuned to her movements, however, the ranger was able to intercept her arm and grab hold of her wrist securely in his left hand, his right lightly grabbing her throat.

Bishop laughed victoriously. "Can't get away with the same trick twice, elf." He spun around to her left side while still holding her right wrist, locking it over her left shoulder and far above his head and moving his other hand to the front of her waist.

"Once again, you'd be able to be taken into the night and fed to whatever's out there," he taunted, now standing behind her. He could smell her hair from his position, but allowed himself to do so only sparingly.

"You certainly like to teach me through demonstration," she coquetted with her eyes agleam.

"Pfft. Think I'm gonna let you get a hold of me just because you're a woman?"

Bishop held her there while she didn't answer him. He slid his hand up from her waist to her stomach, touching her slowly and displaying just how much control he had over her in this position. Once there, he curled his fingers just a bit into her skin.

Using the same hand that had her captured, Bishop pulled Lily's arm upward and behind her tightly enough so that her air was marginally cut off.

Just then, Lily elbowed him in his solar plexus. He hadn't taken hold of her left arm, as he'd seen her as no threat, certainly not taking her for the type to elbow him in the solar plexus. Having had the wind knocked out of him, and much to his chagrin, Bishop's grip automatically loosened from her wrist as he stumbled backward just a hair, and with this, her air supply was fully returned. She faced him again, but this time she looked expectant.

He straightened, both his posture and his face. "All right, I'll take you into the woods." He rolled his eyes.

Lily literally jumped into the air. "Hah! That's what I wanted to hear!" she shouted gleefully, pumping her fist in the air. "Do you have any potions, just in case?"

He didn't even have to check. "Enough."

"Then let's go!"


	43. Chapter 43

* 43 * 7/18/12, 3/12/13

Elanee was anxious.

She had searched for Lily ever since rising half an hour ago, but her Leader was nowhere to be found. Elanee had caught her sneaking out last night, and the sun elf hadn't returned in the entire time the druid had waited up for her. She didn't know for sure where Lily had gone, but she certainly had a guess.

And that worried her, because her guess was Lily had gone to Bishop's room. Late at night. Had snuck there, no less, as if there was something to hide.

Elanee stood just outside Bishop's room, the door still ajar from when she had peeked inside. Even more alarming was how not Lily nor even Bishop were there.

She had half a mind to wake Casavir, but decided to take the matter into her own hands instead.

_If they're not here,_ Elanee reasoned, _then they'd be in the only other place that both of them can tolerate._

The woods.


	44. Chapter 44

* 44 * 7/19/12

Bishop didn't think Lily would last. Being cooped up in a kennel under the disguise of a fortress had made her grow soft, he thought, and a few hours in the woods wouldn't toughen her up after all that crap.

But she was surprising him at every step.

Lily marched forward, determination stricken on her face. Maybe she didn't have the survival instincts of a ranger or druid, but at the very least, she was trying.

They often stopped when they heard a loud noise, not out of fear, but curiosity. This particular time, the offending animal was a wolf.

"What kind of wolf is that?" she asked, pointing to a flicker behind the trees far off in the distance.

Huh. So she was interested in actual names instead of indiscriminately calling all of these wild dogs "wolves".

"That's a red wolf. Smaller than gray wolves like Karnwyr. They're easily frightened, so if you ever get attacked, you could just throw something at them, or yell." Bishop looked around idly. "Probably has some friends in the area."

Lily followed his eyes. He was looking everywhere, perhaps without even noticing it. Scanning his surroundings in that moment, Bishop appeared perfectly at home. He really did belong out here.

Just then, Lily's stomach growled. Bishop chuckled.

"I didn't have breakfast," the elf explained.

"Well then, maybe we should head on back so your pretty little head can have a meal prepared by your myriad of loyal servants." He looked disappointed.

"I was thinking we could have something from out here instead," Lily suggested.

Bishop halted. He wondered how genuine she was being, considering that, in his opinion, she had been used to having cooks make her anything at her beck and call for far too long to appreciate the less modified tastes of nature. "Sure you can rough it for a meal? Wouldn't want you getting sick or grossed out over the sight of raw meat."

"I'm not that pathetic," she objected.

Bishop wasn't entirely convinced, but he gave her the benefit of the doubt. After all, she _had_ shown promise. "All right. But not a wolf," stated he. It was a condition. "We don't need that much meat."

"Mm, that's fine. I'm not that picky."

"Good, 'cause you can't be out here."

They continued walking deeper into the trees, and slowly, ever so slowly, the biome was shifting from simple forest to rainforest.

"_Wouldn't want you getting sick or grossed out over the sight of raw meat,_" Lily mocked, breaking the silence as she stepped over a log.

The ranger looked over at her, his nose in the air. "Yeah. What of it?"

"Have you even been paying attention during our quests? We see blood and guts spilled everywhere all the time. Usually, we're the ones causing it."

Bishop tsked. "Seeing it right before you eat it is a whole other feeling. Scared off many people before. Still does. Some stuck up nobles would rather starve than do what humans have done for thousands of years and work for their meal." He scoffed.

"Makes me laugh," Lily said suddenly, throwing him off guard. She'd taken the words right out of his mouth. "That kind of refusal," she went on, "is one of the silliest things I've ever heard of. A choice between life or death, and they choose death because their feeling disgusted or unsatisfied is apparently far worse."

Bishop's lips were pressed in a line as he thought. "Just one of the many things I despise about 'civilization'. It's an excuse to not have to be self-sufficient, and to bury others beneath your boot."

The ranger stopped his stride. "That's a vanilla vine. We can start with that."

"Which parts are edible?" the curious elf inquired.

"Almost all of it." Bishop approached it, reached up, and folded the delicate parts of the orchid down. He picked a few leaves and passed them to his smaller companion. "Here."

Lily smelled them to commit their scent to memory, then took a bite of one.

When she was done chewing, she asked, "How much does a human eat per day in weight? It's easy to regulate when you're indoors, but outside, I'm not sure."

"Two kilograms is a good amount to go by. That'd be a lot of leaves, though, so we'll get some meat further down the line." Bishop was about to continue down their chosen path, but he caught sight of a single opened flower. A vanilla flower. He hesitated for a moment, then eyed the surroundings.

"The berries from that bush over there are edible," he said, turning Lily's attention away as he fiddled with something.

"These ones?" She crouched down. They were bright red, with the occasional green one interspersed between. She picked a few and added them to her small handful of leaves.

Bishop joined her. "Yeah. They grow all year round in this area."

Lily squeezed one lightly, testing its durability. "Hm." She bit into it, and it burst open on her tongue, spilling flavor over her taste buds. "Mm! These are lovely," she said with a smile.

"Those are coffee berries. You'll be feeling them in a bit," he added.

Then, he chuckled. "Looks like our meat came to us."

"Huh?" Lily flipped around and saw a medium-sized rabbit sniffing the area. It took one look at the confident Bishop and stopped progressing toward them, its nose still twitching.

"They eat from vanilla vines," Bishop explained, standing up and drawing his bow slowly.

Lily matched his cool speed, taking her time in straightening. "Let me do it," she whispered.

He gave her a look. "Have you ever used a bow before?" the ranger inquired incredulously.

"Nope." She smiled. She was more than willing to learn.

Bishop glanced at their prey. "There are probably more of them scattered all around here. I suppose if you miss and scare it off we _could_ just find another one." Satisfied with this logic, he handed over his bow and an arrow. It was a bit large for her, but not so much that she couldn't get it in the right position.

For not having shot a bow before, she was holding it pretty adeptly. Not perfectly, though. She was obviously right-handed, so he moved to her left side.

"Keep a light but firm grip on the bow and point it toward the ground so you can nock the arrow." Lily obeyed.

"This part," he started, pointing to a valley on the bow, "is the arrow rest. Put the shaft of the arrow there."

"Now put the back of the arrow up against the nock, that little bead you see back here," he continued, indicating a small point on the string of the bow.

"Before you set the arrow, move your bracer down more toward your wrist. Left forearm. That's what this is for," demonstrated Bishop, referring to the large, rather elaborate bracer present on his left, but not right, side. "When you let go of the arrow and are just starting out, the string might snap against your arm. Doesn't feel too good, so try not to forget to keep the bracer there."

"Your aim will probably be pretty bad, so let's not make that any worse by the position you hold that thing in. You're going to hold the arrow with one finger above it and two below." She did.

"Raise and draw it now." Lily tried, but drew too slowly, causing the arrow to fall out of place a little. She caught the back of it with her thumb and tried again, this time getting it right.

"Good. Keep the arrow drawn back to the same area of your face when you do this. It can be your chin, cheek, ear, anything, so long as it's the same point of reference every time. Else, your aim will never improve."

Lily nodded, but began getting a little nervous.

"When you're ready to shoot, just relax the back of your string hand. And try to get somewhere within a meter of the rabbit," the ranger joked.

Lily held the bow drawn and aimed at the animal for many seconds, all the while chiding herself for over-thinking the process and doubting herself. She steeled her nerves and took a deep breath. Finally, she relaxed her right hand, and the arrow went sailing through the air.

Right into the stunned rabbit, albeit a bit off into its hindquarters. The shot wasn't clean, but she had killed it. The arrow visibly claimed the meal as their own: each of Bishop's arrows had a greenish tint on their feather.

Bishop was impressed. The distance between the elf and the rabbit had only been about three meters, but he wasn't expecting her to be able to properly aim even from that close on her first try.

Lily couldn't stop grinning. When Bishop looked into her face, he saw a joy that he hadn't witnessed from her before, an excitement that was so pure and fiery...that it made his heart skip a beat.

The ranger cleared his throat. He went over to the shot carcass and picked it up, extracting the arrow in one swift motion and handing it back to Lily. "Time to find someplace to make a fire and eat." Lily nodded vehemently, overjoyed.

They walked on in silence, but nothing short of sheer jubilation could be felt in the air, and Lily smiled at the sky.


	45. Chapter 45

* 45 * 7/19/12

Bishop and Lily admired the pungent forest as they walked, both having missed its sights and smells, both a marked difference from the walled fortress they had grown so used to.

The optimistic air lasted, at least for a time.

Lily suddenly looked to the ground, pondering their trek. "I feel kind of bad for living in the Keep all the time. Maybe there's a better home to have out here."

Bishop was interested, lifting a brow. "It only makes sense as a harborman," he said. "Swamps and trees are where you belong."

After a few moments, he went on what seemed to be a tangent. "I remember the first time I killed and skinned an animal. It was in the swamp surrounding my village. I wasn't really afraid, at least not compared to the other urchins."

Lily was now at full attention at this small tidbit from him. She wanted him to continue, but wasn't sure if alerting him to how personal he was getting would make him stop talking. So instead, she stayed silent.

But she got only: "It was a bison."

"A bison?!" Lily shrieked, a little too loudly. She slapped her hand over her mouth, but Bishop only laughed.

"Yeah. We were eating that thing for days." A triumphant smirk crossed his lips.

Her brows shot up. "And that was your first kill?"

"It was a lucky shot. Didn't make it any less satisfying, though. The empowerment I felt from that moment was so strong. I knew I was already addicted." As he said this, his face was off in space, a childish grin spreading like wildfire over his face. He sniffed the air to remind himself of who he was now, the roads he had chosen to travel as an older version of that urchin.

The ranger expounded upon his story no more, and they continued walking. More minutes passed, and Lily began to hear the soft pattering of running water. She instinctively regrouped herself in its direction; Bishop noticed and did the same.

As they came closer and closer, the pattering turned into a rushing, and Lily realized it wasn't just a river they were coming upon, it was a waterfall. Her body suddenly overflowed with endorphins and she felt serene, concentrating on the gentle music.

Bishop wondered why her persona had changed, but at least it had seemed to be in a good way. He didn't ask, choosing only to continue on their path and see if the effect grew stronger as their proximity to the waterfall grew. It did. When it came into view, Lily literally jumped and went to sit by a rock on the edge of the water. The water slowed over the surface of the high rock, trickling down its sides and sinking into the ground below.

Lily took a deep breath, inhaling the intoxicating scent of freshness and river water. The waterfall was still some distance ahead and a little to her left, but the river flowed to where they now were. Its main direction was from ahead to behind them, parallel from their positions, but here was a small tributary that ended early due to ample, rich, water-absorbing soil.

Bishop surveyed the area. It would be more difficult to build a fire here given all the moisture and humidity, but it was also a good location for the same reason: if something were to happen and the fire somehow got out of control, it could be easily contained. Lily didn't seem to want to move from this spot, so he hadn't much of a choice anyway. Not that he minded; the air was nice here, and the rush of the waterfall was welcome music.

As the ranger got a small fire started and put together a makeshift spit, Lily gazed around the scenery.

"It's beautiful."

Bishop was pleased at the pleasant tone of her voice. She was calm and contemplative, and it was contagious, putting him at ease and erasing any signs of strain from his expression.

Just then, he got a spark from the wood, and he...felt like smiling. So he did. He wasn't sure why. But he looked over at Lily, staring for a few moments before opening his mouth.

"Fire's ready." He was trying to alert her without interfering with her respite. She let the breeze from the water flow through her entire being once more, then gathered around the fire with him.

She saw the spit and decently-sized fire. "That was fast." It had been.

"Was it?" Bishop shrugged, setting the rabbit up. It would take awhile to cook through with their modest brand, but he had also made the bonfire because of the slowly but steadily dropping temperature. He got to his feet and searched for a few logs. When successful, he pulled them into position around the fire so the two of them could be raised off the rich dirt and grass. They each sat on one, and Bishop caught sight of the state of Lily's clothes. He snickered. They weren't in such good condition anymore, with a tear and dirt stains everywhere. Her skirt wasn't exactly the proper kind of garment for this outdoorsy kind of thing, but he definitely wasn't complaining.

"Does anyone even know where you are, ladyship?"

"No," Lily said with a laugh, as if it had just occurred to her, too. "I've been so caught up with what we've been doing at every turn. But it's kind of fun, in a way. Not making people worry about me, but going on a random adventure like this."

Bishop liked that proclamation. He felt she was beginning to really trust him, as opposed to believing everything the paladin said to demean him. Here she was, out in the woods alone with a ranger, knowing very well that he could outmaneuver her to any place around this area, including back to the Keep if she ran. Yet she had chosen to be here.

The paladin would have a fit when she got back. Bishop enjoyed that thought, smirking to himself.

Lily was quiet again, listening to the sweet music around them. This area, on the cusp of both a temperate forest and a tropical rainforest biome, was filled with tons of different species of flora and fauna.

The sogginess of her clothes began getting to her as time went on. The breeze was beginning to feel chilling, attaching its relative coldness to her already slightly damp clothing. Lily wanted to tough it out, though, and tried to keep Bishop from seeing her shiver too much.

"Thanks for getting me Ounce, by the way," she said, keeping her words slow and level to prevent the shivering from reaching her voice.

Bishop shrugged her thanks right off his shoulders. "Why not? Couldn't hurt to take one before they got rid of 'em."

"I've always liked that philosophy. 'Why not?' Those are words I try to live by every day."

Bishop said nothing, just listening.

"I've found and followed so many opportunities because of it, and it's really been mostly _pos_itive." Lily looked as if she had bitten down on something hard. Her voice had broken at the last word and now her chill-resistant cover was blown. Bishop eyed her, not sure what to do. She was obviously far less armored than he was.

Lily got up and moved to the left, to his log. She scooted ever so slightly closer. "Do you mind?" she asked before going any further.

Bishop opened his mouth and closed it, taking a breath. He stiffened and put his right arm near the other side of her, but didn't touch her. Lily responded by gently tucking herself into the space between his arm and body and against his chest. She seemed on edge, leaning forward a bit to bring herself closer to the fire, while getting her heat on her back from him. He didn't dare speak a word, even as her soft, luminous hair settled on top of his fingers.

As time went on and Lily got warmer, she stopped shivering and forgot some of her reservations, leaning more and more back against his chest as support. Finally, she was fully nestled against him, and the two of them watched as their meat cooked through. They didn't know what else to do, or say. When she lay her head back against him, Bishop felt her soft locks brush against his face and neck. He closed his eyes, and was glad Lily couldn't see him. Unbeknownst to him, Lily closed her eyes, too.

All that could be heard was the sound of water splaying and hitting the rocks, a gentle melody permeating the damp, quiet air.


	46. Chapter 46

* 46 * 7/19/12

The animals, for a moment, were silent. Many had gathered in the trees to watch the two of them waiting for their meal to cook, but they all kept their distance. Humans were definitely not within their regular diet, especially not two this close in proximity to each other. That was just a Bad Idea.

The rabbit was almost finished, and Lily and Bishop leisurely reopened their shutters. Lily sleepily turned her head to her left and moved, almost nuzzling up under the ranger's jaw. Bishop wanted to clear his throat, but it would be impossible to hide this uncertain gesture from the elf. He tapped his fingers almost imperceptibly on the log below them, feeling a little uneasy from her closeness. Finally, he untangled himself from her relaxed form and stood up, not being able to take it anymore. Slightly irritated by how calm the position with her had made him feel, he went over to remove the rabbit from the spit with his gloves, all the while being careful not to turn toward her until his face lost some of its wonderment.

It wasn't a huge amount of meat for the two of them, so Lily planned on having the berries and leaves she got earlier as well. Bishop seemed fine to skimp a little on the amount he had to eat today. He took his dagger and skillfully cut the rabbit, putting the two halves on their own sticks and wordlessly handing one to Lily.

They waited for the meat to cool off and began eating. Lily was surprised: it was far more delicious than she'd thought it would be. She had had manually cooked meat before, but it was usually from her adoptive father Daeghun's kills, and he liked to add spices to the animal before they ate it together. It was perfectly fine without them, though, as she was now finding out.

Bishop was unequivocally at home, feasting on their own work and satisfied that he didn't have to trust some stupid servant that night to make his meal taste good. Besides short escapades between quests, he hadn't really been out wandering in the woods for any considerable period since he started hanging out at the Sunken Flagon, but the forest was comparable to ale in getting his senses drunk. He'd missed it.

The meal was warming Lily up, and for that, she was grateful. The fire had also partially dried her blouse, and the heat reached through to her bosom. It was as if she was sipping from hot chocolate. She felt happy, and nourished in a way she never thought possible from simple, basic food items. She sunk a hand into a pocket in her shirt and popped a coffee berry into her mouth between mouthfuls of rabbit. She was quickly reminded of the savory flavor, and ate another one.

When she had finished most of her share, she stopped and pondered about something that'd been bothering her for awhile.

"Bishop, do you mind traveling with us?" She'd tell him to be honest, but there was really no need. Bishop was blunt as a mace.

The ranger considered his words. "Can't say it affords me the same freedom I had when by myself." He saw her expression looking a little disheartened, and frowned. He thought, not wanting to be too harsh but not interested in censoring his thoughts, either. "It's not all that bad. Saw a lot of places I wouldn't normally go. Killed some things I've never encountered before." He took a bite of the meat, dismissing the topic as unimportant.

"But you did come along because of a debt, so I understand," Lily said.

Bishop's chewing slowed, and he stared nonplussed ahead at the ground. He looked to be lost in thought. He brushed it off quickly, though, feeling the pressure of her eyes on him, and his face returned to its usual indifference.

He took the last bite of the rabbit and threw the stick over to the side. He stood again and moved to where Lily had been sitting by the rock earlier. It was a taller rock than the one with water running over it; perfect for a seat.

Lily finished in short form and joined him by the waterfall. She stepped on top of the water rock and admired the long stretch of water before her.

Sweet silence and serenity.

Without looking at him, she suddenly asked, in a hushed voice, "What was your debt?"

Bishop huffed. "Don't worry your pretty little head about it." He didn't want to get into it.

At this, Lily turned around. She had a very odd look in her gaze. Was it...anger? Challenge?

She jumped down from the rock and walked behind Bishop, back toward the fire. His eyes didn't follow her.

Big mistake: she grabbed hold around him just above his elbows and pulled him backward with all her might, rolling to the side just in time as he was flung to the ground. Bishop crashed onto his back, the quiver over his shoulder digging into him. He only grunted, which wasn't satisfying enough for Lily. She straddled his stomach while pinning his arms down with her legs. Bishop smirked. Lily wondered why, then realized he could probably see her panties from this angle. The elf tried to hit him, but he grabbed a hold of the center back of her blouse along with some of her skin and pulled, tearing a slit in her top. She was prevented from landing her blow, however, and this small struggle gave him all the pause his body needed to finish pumping itself with adrenaline.

Much to Lily's chagrin, with Bishop being taller, his limbs were also slightly longer than she had estimated. Even with her on top of him, he was able to pull her backward and off of him with both arms from his current position. She landed on her back and groaned herself, but was obviously less tolerant of the blow than the ranger had been. Her opponent quickly got on his feet and stood over her, keeping his distance so she couldn't hit him in a sensitive area.

Instead, she dug into the ground with her left boot and tripped him hard from inside out, making him lose his support on his right side and fall. He caught himself with his arms, and Lily crawled away backwards and scrambled to her feet a safe distance away, trying to match the speed with which he had done so. She was still noticeably shaken from the hit to her back, and she unsheathed Bishop's dagger from her pants.

The ranger's eyes flared and he drew his own weapon, another dagger he kept on him ever since she had lent out his skinning knife to that weird little boy. Lily looked frightened and stumbled back a little over a small stone. She regained her composure and got into a defensive position.

Bishop, sensing her bluff, charged her, and she closed her eyes and launched herself backward into the stream, praying there weren't too many sharp rocks to break her fall. The ranger came in after her, landing on top of her. Lily's hair became soaked through, flowing toward downstream and framing her face.

They looked into each other's faces for a few agonizing seconds, taking in one another's eyes, skin, and lips as they breathed hard.

Lily felt the water rush over her shoulders. She hoped it was louder than the rapid pounding of her heart as she gazed into Bishop's captivating amber eyes. They were soft, and focused so intently on her in that moment that she almost gasped. But he had a very handsome face, so handsome that it was easy to forget that the Chaotic Evil ranger's motivations were always anything but pure. She kept on her guard.

But all he did was drop himself lower on his elbows, bringing his face to hover over hers, perhaps to intimidate her, she thought. Their lips were centimeters apart, and he looked so serious, so divided. This made her giggle. She tilted her head up the smallest distance to nuzzle her nose against his, disarming him.

Bishop couldn't help it. He smiled, and then even laughed for the first time since he'd been in her company. Her gesture did something to him.

He was so used to viewing women as merely wenches whose company was to be mostly avoided at all costs. They'd tried to get him to give them money, or dispose of someone for them, and had almost gotten him killed. But he began to realize he felt none of those things toward Lily; she had done nothing like the other women had. This felt more like pure innocence wanting to give him some affection, and for some reason, he allowed it.

His laugh told her the fight was over, and Lily relaxed. In the elf's eyes, Bishop's expression had lightened up almost magically in that moment.

The ranger suddenly reached in his pocket and pulled out something small, but vivacious in hue. Lily looked at it. It was a flower, a very pretty one at that, with white petals and a beautiful, yellowish center.

Bishop brought it up before her. He spoke softly, "Found this earlier. It's a vanilla flower. Blooms for less than a day out of the year." He put it on top of her nose, and she blinked.

Lily took a deep breath, and her whole body relaxed. It smelled heavenly.

"Tastes even better," he said, plucking a small petal off with his teeth and eating it.

Lily followed his lead, and immediately, her sense of taste was overwhelmed with sweetness. "It's so good," she marveled, savoring every second.

"Try the nectar, too." He opened the flower and tenderly let a droplet fall onto her tongue.

And in that moment, the world around her, lying in the water with Bishop gazing down at her with rare, round golden irises, was absolutely perfect.

Their eyes locked and Lily touched him again, gently placing her hand on the back of his cloak. She wanted to bring him closer, hug him to her chest. She did, and Bishop breathed down lightly on her mouth, the sweet scent of vanilla on his breath. His eyes narrowed soothingly as a sudden impulse came over him, one he couldn't quite describe, and one that struck him as wholly unfamiliar. He touched the flower softly to her skin, bringing it very slowly down over her lips and chin.

A shuffling sound suddenly came from the trees to Bishop's right, interrupting their peace. Lily sensed it too, and Bishop reluctantly yet instinctively jumped to his feet, just in time to see a flash of green armor.

_Shit_, he thought to himself, slightly panicked. Of all things they could've seen...he'd much rather be caught nude and fornicating with some wench than laughing and smiling with Lily. He took a moment to think about what just happened, why he was so bothered by being caught. Then he glanced at Lily, finishing the nectar with a peaceful, faraway look on her face, and these worries melted as he simpered to himself.

And at that moment, Bishop's panic faded and made way for tranquility once more.

He grinned.


	47. Chapter 47

* 47 * 7/20/12

The figure in green wended its way skillfully through the trees, racing back from whence it had come. Its agility could easily be compared to that of the ranger – an impressive feat.

_I don't think Casavir will enjoy hearing about this, Bishop. No, not at all._

...

Bishop refocused his thoughts and swore again, sheathing his dagger. He picked up several handfuls of water from the stream and splashed them over the fire, putting it out with haste before moving over to where Lily now stood and turning his back to her.

"Get on."

"What?"

"Get on, and hurry up."

Lily grabbed his shoulders and hoisted herself onto his back next to the quiver, looping her legs through the space in his arms while still holding onto the little vanilla flower. Bishop took one look behind him at their humble home away from the Keep, and then began jogging until he reached the lines of trees. He then broke into a run. Lily put her arms around the front of his neck and held on tightly as he quickly scoured hundreds of meters of land.

_Just try to beat me back, _he challenged the unknown figure, getting back into an insensitive, competitive mood. But, given the extra weight, he wasn't entirely certain of himself this time.


	48. Chapter 48

* 48 * 7/20/12, 3/20/13

Casavir was worried sick. Lily had not been in the Keep all day, and it was already getting dark. To make matters worse, no one had heard from or seen Bishop since the previous night. He imagined the worst, the Evil ranger finally having decided to take his prize and leave the group for good.

_Damn it! If only I had not overslept! _Remembering Lily's advice on the words "if only" in this moment only made his feelings of longing and dread worse. He had been so peaceful the night before after his talk with Lily that he had slept long into the day.

Qara was being level-headed about it, trying to calm him down, but telling him to "Chill out" wasn't much help. Grobnar, Khelgar, and Neeshka were the only three group members who were almost as distraught as he was.

But Neeshka was trying to be positive in her own backwards way. "Maybe she just got lost and Bishop went to look for her!" she said, little Ounce in her arms. Perhaps she didn't mean for it to, but her suggestion only made the paladin more agitated.

"I hope the lass gets back soon..." was all Khelgar said, his face stricken with concern. Grobnar simply frowned, his brow furrowed.

"She might have gotten tired of being inside all the time," offered Sand.

As he'd tried to multiple times over the past few hours, Casavir made another beeline for the door, but Aldanon stopped him.

"Let's wait a little longer, yes? No point in losing our heads and charging out into the night!"

"That is **exactly** where our Leader is!" the paladin shouted in a powerful, booming voice – one he had rarely ever made use of – surprising the others as he scrambled past the old man.

But the door had already been barged open. A green figure hurriedly made its way inside.

Elanee.

"Elanee!" Grobnar shouted. "Any news?" he asked with worried anticipation.

"Yes, I found her...and I found Bishop," Elanee said, looking to each group member in turn, but focusing her hard gaze especially on the paladin. Casavir swallowed. "They were–"

Bishop came in behind her, Lily right on his heels.

"Lily!" Without hesitation, Casavir rushed over to her, instantly alarmed by the soaked and dirtied condition of her clothing. "What happened?!"

"She's fine, and so am I, thanks," came Bishop's sarcastic remark.

Elanee panicked. She hadn't realized the ranger had been so close behind her. She quickly shouted, "They were in the woods together! I saw them! They–! They..." Her imminence faltered when she saw Bishop give her an animalistic, snarling glare.

"I'm okay, Casavir," Lily reassured him, but the paladin was only paying mind to her damp hair, the tears in her shirt, and the dirt covering her extremities in assessing her condition. He directed his attention to Bishop.

"Bishop, what have you done?" Casavir demanded, his voice enraged.

The ranger rolled his eyes. "I raped her, of course."

Without hesitation, the paladin slammed Bishop fiercely against the wall, and Lily heard a sickening crack. Every pair of eyes in the room shot wide.

"_**Bishop!**_" Lily shrieked. "Casavir, no!" She ran closer, but Casavir held her back with an arm. "Please! He was only joking!"

Bishop had shut an eye in pain for a moment due to the impact, but was fine. "That was the quiver. He just got a couple of arrows," the ranger explained in a strained voice, dismissing the elf's wistfulness. Of course, this also meant that the quiver had made quite an impression when it carved a valley into his back, and he had taken heavy damage. But he didn't tell Lily that.

Lily's lip curled, and she took that precious pause to wiggle her way in between the two men, splaying her arms before the paladin. "He didn't do anything to me, Casavir! I went out by myself, and he came with me so I wouldn't get hurt."

Bishop looked away. He didn't like the light the truth painted him in.

Casavir followed the ranger's movements and looked sternly into his face to see if this was the truth. Bishop stood his ground and didn't shy away from looking straight back, but his eyes sheepishly hid a clandestine truth. In them, Casavir saw. He found out about far more than just what had happened. He saw the real truth, the whole truth. This was the look of a man engaging in a guilty pleasure of his. Bishop had indeed protected Lily, but, more than that, he desired her, and perhaps for more than what Casavir had originally thought he wanted her for.

Disturbed, but relieved to find some evidence of actual feeling in the stone-faced Bishop, the paladin released his hold on the ranger. "Your sense of humor is in poor taste, Bishop." With that, he walked away to the other side of the hall in a huff. He would've stormed off all the way to a different room, but he refused to let Lily out of his sight when she had just returned.

"You're going to get yourself killed," Lily chastised Bishop, wanting to shove him but deciding against it; she was still deathly worried about the impact of the wall and Casavir's hard armor.

The ranger shrugged. His confidence had outwardly returned, though he was still wondering just how much the paladin had seen through him. "His fault for taking everything so goddamned personally. Needs to lighten up once in awhile."

Casavir bit his tongue. No matter what Bishop did to rouse him, he would not act out like that again now that he knew he hadn't harmed her.

Bishop turned on his heel and walked out the Keep's doors, giving Elanee another highly venomous look before leaving. She looked at the ground. As soon as he shut the door, she retreated to her room.

Lily let him go, used to his tantrums by now, and instead went to stand by the more level-headed Casavir near the throne.

"I'm sorry, Casavir."

"You should not go out on your own, my lady." For how upset he felt, he was doing a good job of masking it from his voice. He couldn't even look at her.

"I know. I just felt very energetic this morning, and no one was up. When I decided to go into the woods, Bishop told me I was stupid and came to make sure I wouldn't get eaten," she said, trying to lighten the mood.

He mustered a halfhearted grin for her sake, but he was off in another world. "If you will excuse me, my lady," he said, heading to his room.

Lily, her brows furrowed, looked after the distraught paladin, wishing his discontentment would melt away just like that snowflake against his profound warmth.


	49. Chapter 49

* 49 * 7/20/12, 3/20/13

Lily was so unused to seeing Casavir upset with her that she felt entirely out of sorts for the next several seconds. That's all it took to made her follow him, but in Casavir's distraction, he did not notice until they were already standing right in front of his door.

He spotted her, and she looked disheartened. "My lady?"

"Please don't be upset, Casavir."

Casavir could not promise her that after the day's events, and thus stayed silent, his ice blue irises still averted from her face.

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

The paladin's lips pressed into a line as he finally looked into her eyes.

"Please, my lady..." His voice was strangled and low, and it forfeited some of its discomposure. "If you do that again...please promise me that you will let someone know where you are going before you leave."

Lily nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry, Casavir." She looked dejectedly at the ground.

At her sincere apology to him, the paladin's entire being softened, and his countenance gradually shed its agitation.

Lily looked into his face again after a few moments, brightening as she remembered how she fell asleep last night.

"Thank you for letting me rest on your shoulder yesterday." She smiled.

Casavir's face colored at the extremely pleasant memory. And he had just gotten his expression back to normal, too.

"I fell asleep on you," she reiterated, "and you carried me to my room."

The paladin simply nodded, but was anxious. Was she going to ask him why?

"That was very sweet." She beamed up at him.

Casavir looked down into her iridescent green eyes, her small and elegant frame. He felt smitten when she smiled at him like that, and he knew he couldn't stay angry with her for long.

Her face now exuded the veil of shyness. "Will you forgive me?" she asked timidly, breaching the sensitive subject again.

"Yes, my lady."

A grin. "Thank you." She looked relieved, happy.

She looked beautiful.

And then she neared him. She opened her arms hesitantly and moved closer, incredibly unsure of her own actions.

Casavir peered at her with parted lips, seemingly a thousand thoughts and yet no thought at all racing through his brain. He wasn't sure what exactly she was doing, so he stood still. As she got a mite closer, it finally hit him. She was trying to give him a hug, testing to see if it was okay with him.

As soon as he realized this, he broke his stiffness and picked his arms up slightly from his sides so she could wrap hers around him. In the next second, she did.

Casavir was moved by the gesture, even though he could barely feel her through his plated armor. To remedy this, and to prevent himself from coming off as cold or indifferent to this simple but gratifying act of affection, he settled his arms very lightly against her back, wary of touching her too much. He had held her in his arms before, but she had been crying at that time. Now, she had no discernible need for comfort, and no obvious reason to be doing this, making him considerably less certain of what to do than he once had been. This confusion did not ultimately matter to him, however; the parts of her he could feel – her hair settled against his face and her body warmth meshing with his – filled his entire being with endorphins.

"I don't mean to make you worry," Lily explained.

"I only wish for your safety, my lady," Casavir responded, his voice quiet with the influence of their tender position. The elf nodded. In the next second, she pulled away. To Casavir, it was like waking up from a deep, peaceful slumber, one in which his body and mind were at rest but his heart thumped nearly out of his chest.

Lily began moving toward the door, and the paladin felt a need to say something, anything. He wanted to connect with her again, hear her voice one more time this night.

So he said that something, that anything: "Good night, my lady."

Lily tilted her head. "Good night, Casavir." She closed his door gently behind her, but stood thinking for a few minutes. Then, she flipped around to go back to the main hall, but sitting in her way on the ground was a small cat waving its tail back and forth, thumping the ground.

"Ounce! Were you there the whole time?"

Ounce meowed and approached her, winding his way between her ankles. He looked up at her and meowed again, and she picked him up, carrying him back into the main hall with her. No one was there anymore, apparently having stayed up only to make sure she got back without harm.

Lily then felt very thankful for her friends.

Musing over all that had happened today, she headed to her room and set the kitten back down before undressing and climbing into her bed.

"Good night to you, too, Bishop..."


	50. Chapter 50

* 50 * 7/22/12

Bishop sat with one leg on the chair in front of him, trying to ignore to throbbing pain in his back.

He had made it back to his room okay, what with it being a short trip, but he still felt raw, and the impact had knocked his shoulder out. He contemplated what he was going to do about his injury for a bit longer, then set his leg back on the ground. He reached behind him and placed both hands on his armor, lifting it up slowly to peel it off his tender wound. As it came off, taking a bit of skin with it, he winced, but soon enough, it was off. Bishop swore, as now the lack of pressure on the wound made it sorely ache.

Casting his cloak to the side, he sat bare-chested with his right arm propped up on the table, facing his bed.

_Damned paladin can't take a joke._

To his surprise, he then heard a knock on the door.

"Bishop?" he heard Lily whisper from the other side.

_Why is she whispering? _he thought, almost amused.

He sighed and got to his feet, walking over to the door to let her in. He grabbed the door handle, and had half a mind to cover himself up before opening it. Not for his own sake, but for hers; he wasn't sure how she'd react.

In the next moment, she stood before him, her hand still raised in knocking position. She took one look down at his bare chest and immediately her eyes shot back up to his.

"Can I come in? I don't want to wake these guys," she explained, pointing to the drunk bartender and his friends all gathered by the fire. Some of them sounded to be snoring.

"Go ahead," said he, rolling his eyes at the drunkards.

She let herself in and Bishop closed the door, his amber eyes questioning her.

"I couldn't sleep," she started. "How's your back? That can't have felt good."

"There's a dent, that's for sure."

"Can I take a look?"

"Guess so." Bishop went back to sitting at the table, facing a bit to the right this time and putting space between him and the back of the seat so she could see his wound.

"Oh, Bishop," she said with a sigh as she looked over the wound. "There's a rather large part of you dedicated to pissing Casavir off, isn't there?"

Bishop smirked humorously. "Yeah, you could say that."

"I've never seen him act out like that before," Lily pondered thoughtfully, taking a good look at the intricacies of his injury. There was a large bruise on his shoulder just where it met his chest. Most of the damage had been confined to his back, but thankfully far off to the side instead of directly to his spine. "Mind if I bandage you up?"

"All right."

She took out some potions and bandages from her pack and unrolled one of the latter. She then began wrapping it around his torso as he kept his arms held on the table.

"Don't you need some of those yourself?" Bishop asked.

"Huh?" returned Lily.

"I knocked you on the ground earlier tonight. That probably hurt you way more than it did when you did it to me."

"Oh, right. I haven't seen the result," she said dismissively. She hadn't forgotten, but her back also didn't seem to be throbbing in pain, so the damage couldn't have been that bad.

"You should, before you sleep on it."

_There!_ Lily thought. The bandage was in place. She couldn't wrap up his shoulder without making him a cheap sling, though, and Bishop would probably rather be killed than wear one of those. She offered him a potion, but he declined.

As soon as she released the bandages, Lily stood straight, and Bishop slapped his hand against the center of her back. She gave a cry.

"See? Something's there."

"Yes...Bishop...thank you..." she mustered between clenched teeth. He had hit Lily right where the rock had carved into her back when he tripped her.

"No problem. Better to find out now than later," the ranger said, completely unapologetic. He was even grinning.

"I didn't feel it, so I didn't notice until now."

"Walking isn't that arduous a task, ladyship."

"I thank you for reminding me that getting hit in a recent wound is." She laughed, which was better release than hitting him upside the head like she wanted to.

"If that hurt, then you need to get it looked at."

"By whom? You?"

"I wouldn't mind," Bishop said with a snide smirk.

"Hah. You're going to have to try harder than that, Bishop."

"A shame. Maybe I shouldn't tell you I've already seen what there is to see there."

Lily shook her head in disbelief. "You're such a liar."

Bishop made a face, as if she was stupid. "You were wearing a white shirt when you dove backward into the stream, you idiot."

Lily was silent, her eyes wide. He was right.

All of the sudden, they both started laughing.

"Oh, wow, that's embarrassing," Lily said, holding her stomach.

"The water level wasn't high enough to show me everything. But from what I _did_ see...not bad."

"I'm so glad they have your approval." It was the elf's turn to roll her eyes.

Lily was an enigma, Bishop thought. Not once since she had come in had she tried to win his favor by ogling his bare chest or offering to give him a massage in manipulative exchange for payment. His only previous experience with an elf girl's tendencies was with Malin, and she wasn't even a full elf. The two weren't very similar. Malin was wilderness smart but clumsy, and acted too impulsively to serve as an adequate ally. Lily, on the other hand, was reasonable, but whimsical. She was also completely unpredictable – both socially and in battle – a difficult trait to fight against, which made her more than capable of carrying out tactical formations without accidentally giving them away first. He couldn't say the same about Malin.

Bishop suddenly found himself wondering about Lily's romantic history. As soon as these thoughts showed up in his mind, he tried to put them away, but before he was successful, he had latched onto one in particular. Lily was from West Harbor. Most of the inhabitants of West Harbor had burned to a crisp, or fallen fighting. If she _did_ have a former flame, he was probably dead by now.

_But she's never said anything about it._

"How old are you, anyway?" Bishop ventured.

Lily guffawed. _He actually has the audacity to ask? _she thought, rather amused. But she actually didn't mind.

She gave an airy look to the ceiling. "I've lived through almost 104 seasons," she regaled majestically.

Bishop sighed and had a blank look on his face for a few seconds. Then, he looked surprised. "26? And an elf? That's hard to believe."

Lily shrugged. "You caught me in my younger years. Congratulations." She give a little, mock clap, but was grinning. "I'd ask you, but I think I already know."

"Please."

"Is that a challenge? Just watch me. 27."

Bishop's eyebrows shot up. "Not quite." But she was awfully close.

"28?"

"Bingo." He wondered how she had guessed, but he didn't ask. "So, if you haven't quite lived through 104 seasons, you either haven't turned 26, or you just did."

"The former. I'm a youngin'." She paused. "How old is Malin?"

Bishop chuckled at the question. "Older than you. 39."

"I suppose for us elves it's not _that_ much older. Heck, Elanee is easily a-hundred-something. But I'm not sure how it works for half-elves. I'm so used to working in human years that I'm all mixed up."

"You can sit down, you know." Bishop was commenting on the fact that Lily had been standing during this entire discussion.

"Hah." She plopped on top of the table, kicking her feet back and forth now and then.

"I'd like to go back to that waterfall sometime. It was nice, being out there with the animals and nature."

Bishop agreed, but saw a problem. "Next time, the paladin will probably try to kill me." Nonetheless, he smirked, a sparkle of challenge reaching his eyes.

"It's not your fault, and he'll have to go through me first. Even if it _was_ him trying to protect me, he didn't even let anyone explain before he charged you like that. It wasn't his place."

Bishop looked up at her, but she wasn't focused on him. He hadn't expected to hear such words from her. He had always thought she endorsed the paladin's every move as righteous, but he had apparently been wrong.

Then she looked at him again. "Bishop, will you go with me once more after things here cool off and I go outside again?"

The ranger was taken off guard. That was a very direct and personal request. "Don't think you could survive otherwise," he joked.

"So you'll come? Thank you, Bishop!" She jumped down from the table and threw her arms around his neck, being careful not to squeeze him too tightly. "It was a lot of fun!" she enthused. He put a hand on her back, kneading her bruise, and she winced.

"Ow!" she said, drawing herself back away.

"You hug people a lot, elf."

"I don't. I hug the people I can have meaningful conversations with."

Bishop was curious as to how much her statement implied. For some reason, however, he couldn't bring himself to ask her to clarify, even though his curiosity burned him.

"You're right, though; I did get a little carried away. Sorry," she said, grinning. "I'm just excited; that was fun. And different."

Her playful grin held his attention in that moment. Noticing he was staring, though, he scolded himself, irritated with his lapse into nonsensical behavior. He refocused and downplayed the topic with: "Think you can handle bringing your bag the next time?"

"Yeah, that was silly of me. I got so caught up in the moment, trying to be adventurous. I ended up being pretty stupid." Lily laughed. Bishop was glad he hadn't stepped on her toes _too_ much with his last comment. He watched as she pulled one of the other chairs perpendicularly to his right side and sat down.

"So, did old Daeghun show you how to make fancy meals yourself, or do you always conveniently leave that part to other people?"

Lily was so used to his marked rudeness that she wasn't even taking offense anymore. "I never really cared for dolled-up dishes. I don't mind them, but it's mostly the same nutrients anyway, so it doesn't really matter how it's served."

"Didn't care too much for the regal presentation back home myself. It was all just meat to me."

"You seem rather knowledgeable about harbormen. Were you born near the swamp?"

"Yeah. Filthy place. Wasn't originally a swamp, but it sure turned into one pretty quick." Bishop shook his head, the expression on his face exceedingly unkind. "Got as far away as possible as soon as I could." There was a faraway look now etched into his strong features, but what was bothering him was left unrevealed. Lily didn't press him.

But she didn't have to. "It was called Redfallow's Watch. Such a noble name for such a foul place." He began tapping his fingers on the table in front of him. "I hated it."

"Was?" She sounded really interested.

Bishop clamped his mouth shut, realizing he had said too much. His expression suddenly turned hostile. "You know, you're really stupid for not looking at that wound yet." His tone almost sounded accusatory.

Lily furrowed a brow and suddenly looked exasperated, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. This bothered Bishop; he hadn't seen her act like this before. After a second or two, though, she seemed to resolve whatever internal conflict she was having. "All right," she said simply, standing up, walking out the door, and closing it behind her, a little harder than she probably intended to.

The ranger's lip twitched, but he stayed put.


	51. Chapter 51 - T

**_Ceye's note_**_: Chapters marked with a "T" in the chapter list contain more mature content (rated T or higher)._

_..._

* 51 * 7/23/12

The whole next day had a foreboding feel to it: the air was thick and humid with rain, and lightning even occasionally struck somewhere inside the damp forests.

For the first time in awhile, Lily slept in. The rest of the group took this as well as the downpour outside as signs that they would search for the Wonderful Imaginary Wendersnaven tomorrow, so some others took Lily's lead and got a few more hours of sleep themselves. By noon, though, three-fourths of the team had assembled in the main hall for some chatter.

When Neeshka had peeked into Lily's room to check if she was still in the castle, Ounce had come running out around her feet. The thief picked the small cat up and set him on her shoulder, where he looked disoriented but satisfied. He wasn't quite as used to heights yet as the bigger cats from a few days before were.

Bishop was in the room with everyone else for a change. He had made it there when the rain outside was only a sprinkle, and figured that now would be a bad time to return to the inn. He didn't mind the rain itself so much, but the smell and feeling afterward of being drenched was not something he enjoyed. He stood with one foot flat against the wall near the large entrance to the Keep, his arms folded moodily.

Casavir was located next to the archway that led to the library and Lily's room. He saw Neeshka pass by him and caught the beady, flashing eyes of Ounce. The kitten would probably be quite the bundle of energy today, if that look meant anything.

Sand actually came out of his hole in the library to join the congregation, and instead, Qara was missing. She had gone to the inn early that morning, or perhaps late last night. Ammon Jerro was standing near Bishop and began conversing with Neeshka when she came over with Ounce.

"I've seen that look in a creature's eyes before. He's going to tear this place apart if he gets his way," Ammon said affectionately of the devious kitten.

"Lily wouldn't allow that," Neeshka said, then added, "Buuut it would be pretty funny."

Bishop was eying the ground now, but he'd burn a hole through it if he stared any harder.

Elanee was absent from the main hall. No one had seen her since she retreated to her room the night before, looking upset. Grobnar seemed to be the only one who was paying any attention to that fact, though. He stood in the dead center of the hall, trying to make sense of everyone's actions over the past few days: Lily's disappearance, Bishop's extra-capricious mood swings, and Elanee's sudden resignation, among others.

As Grobnar thought this, Elanee herself appeared from the west end of the Keep. She walked straight to Bishop and stood a few feet away from him. "May I speak with you, Bishop?" she asked politely, though her unassuming expression hid something beneath, the ranger was sure of it.

"Good idea," he agreed, and followed her back to her room. Ammon and Neeshka looked at each other grimly.

"You kids and your drama," said the warlock to Neeshka, shaking his head and grabbing Ounce by the scruff of his neck. He put the cat on top of his bald head and folded his arms solemnly. Casavir's attention was piqued, but he only watched as Bishop and Elanee disappeared from view.

Elanee led the ranger to her room and invited him in, then shut the door behind him. She wasted no time in getting to the point.

"What were you doing with our Leader, Bishop?"

"Well, well, suddenly my business is all yours. Come to give me a noble lecture about how it will somehow affect the morale of the team?" Bishop tsked. "I didn't realize you and the paladin were so close," he said matter-of-factly, tipping his head to the side.

"That depends. What is 'it' that you were doing?" For cowering so easily yesterday, she certainly had mustered up more of a backbone today. Bishop wondered when and why the change occurred. When he didn't answer, she pressed on: "It seemed pretty romantic to me."

"Ah, you women see romance where there isn't any. In case you've forgotten, _I'm_ not the one with the halo around here, willing to throw his life away when things get rough for a woman he barely even knows."

"That's right. You're the sick, conniving bastard who's trying to court someone very important to the rest of us."

"Stop making it sound so disgusting. So what if I wouldn't mind taking some of your beloved Leader's sweet honey away? If that's all it takes to offend you, I'm surprised you haven't run all the way back to your possessed Mere by now."

"I would if I thought I'd never have to see you again, Bishop, but you have an odd way of showing up all around the woods," the druid shot back, though able to keep her volume at bay.

Bishop sensed hesitation in that stubborn statement. What was she getting at?

"What's this now, treehugger? I've never seen you this angry before. Perhaps I struck a note?"

"You're not supposed to be philandering with Lily. I dearly hope Casavir will be able to stop you in your tracks before too long."

"So is that what it is, then? You want the paladin to be the one to scoop her up in his arms and run away with her to some merry, fairytale castle? I have absolutely no interest in doing that, so you can keep your mouth shut. Better yet, go busy yourself with some men at the tavern; I'm sure _they'd_ be more than happy to shut you up. _I_ wouldn't even do it here and now if you begged me to."

"Bishop!" Elanee's exterior was fully hostile, but her face held a deeper, ashamed truth.

And Bishop saw right through it.

"Ahh, so _that's_ where the hostility comes from. You're jealous," he confidently asserted, eying her provocatively.

"How dare you even _think_ that! You have no respect for anything in this world, not even for the wolf that travels with you! How could _I_ ever have feelings for someone like that?!"

"You mean Karnwyr? You really don't know a thing about him, or me. He's perfectly fine not being here. When's the last time you heard of a wolf being happy to sit around idly in a stone fortress, treegirl?"

She ignored him. "And what's with the cat? Only you could have gotten him. Now we're a shelter for miniature killing machines?"

"If you haven't noticed, we have a really fucking big killing machine in the basement that you seem to have no problem with. Oh, and did you also miss the gigantic spider? No, of course not, because you're the one who invited him here." Bishop sniffed. "Get off your high horse, druid. You're not even making any sense anymore."

Elanee was fully stirred up now, and her hands clenched into fists. "You're...supposed...to _love_ nature, and everything it provides you with! Getting close to Lily will only hurt her too, and we can't afford that! We're so close to the end!"

"If the elf takes what happens too seriously, that's her own fault, none of mine. She should know not to trust people who don't even call her by her real name." When Elanee stayed silent, Bishop changed course. "So which is it, then? Are you mad at me for not bowing down and kissing the ground every time I kill something, or upset that I'll foil the plan to defeat the Big Bad in the end?"

Elanee settled with, "You're just an ass." She was calming down, though – his belief that she was upset for one of those two reasons made her feel better.

"Bit late to the party," he scoffed. "Now, no one's going to hear a word about what happened, right, elf?"

She raised a brow. "And what _exactly_ do I get in return for that?"

Bishop narrowed his eyes. "What are you asking for?" He didn't enjoy being blackmailed.

Elanee grinned quite suddenly at this, and Bishop stood on his guard, unsettled by her abrupt change in demeanor. She stepped closer to him, sizing him up before speaking.

Her voice became ever so slightly sultry. "How about having some alone time with someone who knows her way around the borders of this land as well as you do?" The look in her eye was mischievous. It almost seemed...unlike her.

Why was Elanee suddenly acting this way? She seemed to be much different from the meek creature who went to pout in her room after a mere glare just last night.

"Do I have a choice?" His brows raised quizzically.

"Not really."

"Well, then," he said simply, staring intoxicatingly into the eyes of the druid who now took his hand in hers. When she put her arm against his chest and leaned up on her toes to near his mouth, however, he suddenly turned his head away. Elanee stood flat again on her feet.

"What's wrong?"

Bishop didn't actually know. For some reason that he couldn't quite put his finger on, he just didn't feel like quenching his normally healthy appetite for women at that moment. But he also didn't want word of his wonderful, peaceful time with Lily getting out to the other group members. He didn't really care if it got out to Casavir, except that he'd probably get slammed up against another wall by a ton of sharp, metal armor for it.

Elanee wasn't unattractive by any means, at least not physically. Her sharp, carved features were pleasant on the eyes, but her tree-hugging was far too much for Bishop to tolerate. He used nature as a tool for survival, but she preferred to honor and apologize to it all the time, as if it couldn't handle what she was taking from it. Thus, ironically, she greatly underestimated the power of that which she worshiped, a sentiment at which Bishop scoffed.

Normally the ranger would be pleased to have a woman making such scandalous moves on him, but for it to be Elanee just made him sick. He despised everything she stood for because of the way she stood for it, acting as if she was so important that she could make or break the land whenever she saw fit.

Bishop finally stated, quite simply, "If it gets out, I won't hesitate to kill you." He turned on his boot heel and walked out, slamming the door behind him.


	52. Chapter 52

_**Ceye's note**__: Hi Claudia, my Miss Italy! I'm not sure how else to contact you except through my stories because you don't seem to have an account, but I greatly appreciate your review and kind words! =)_

...

* 52 * 7/24/12

Bishop cleared out of Elanee's line of sight quickly. He wouldn't let her get beneath his clothes, much less his skin. He stepped back into the main hall just in time to see Lily emerging from her side of the Keep in a shirt like the one from yesterday, but this time with light green slacks. She was looking for Ounce, and found him sitting atop Ammon Jerro's head. Satisfied, she then greeted Casavir and approached Grobnar.

Bishop made his way toward her, and as he did so, Elanee shot out from behind him and found Ammon Jerro.

"Can I speak with you a minute?" she asked him hurriedly while Bishop's attention was turned away. Ammon took the cat off of his head and let it on the floor, then went with Elanee back to the west wing. Neeshka immediately started chasing after the mischievous kitten.

"You keep telling me _I_ look down, Grobnar. What's wrong with _you_?" Lily asked, concerned.

"Nothing, nothing. I just don't think people make very much sense."

"Look who's talking! You speak in riddles and never-ending stories!" she teased. This made the gnome's face brighten, even despite a moody figure approaching them.

Bishop now stood next to Lily, but she wasn't paying attention to him. A corner of the ranger's mouth turned down and he tried to think of something to say to merit him standing there looking lost.

Finally, Lily noticed him. "Good afternoon," she said. It was rather plain, with no facial expression tied to it. Bishop didn't like it. He felt like firing back with something, but shut his mouth at the last second; his temper would get him nowhere here.

He wondered what had bothered her so much about his words. He remembered growing angry with himself when he let slip too much about his home village. Then what had he done?

Lily's exasperated face flashed through his mind.

Ah, yes. He had then curtly dismissed the subject, calling her stupid and commanding her to check her wound, and in doing so, attached a giant "Get Out" to his forehead.

Bishop wasn't sure what would make her act like normal again, but instead of waiting around for an idea to hit him, he instead walked directly to Casavir on a sudden impulse. The paladin's face abruptly hardened as he approached, and he kept on his guard.

"Let's have a duel, paladin. No armor, no weapons, just plain clothes and our bare hands," he challenged. Bishop was an agile and incredibly capable fighter – relying more upon his speed than his sheer strength and choosing to wear lighter armor because of it – but this, of course, had a huge disadvantage. No human could break through Casavir's ever-present armor without causing serious damage to himself; the ranger's wear was merely a pincushion against his nemesis's hard metal.

Casavir scowled. He did not like the proposition, would prefer to just avoid Bishop whenever he could without a direct quarrel. But perhaps indulging the ranger's request would make him back off for good. There was the small chance that this could be true, and the idea was fairly tempting to Casavir.

"Allow me to consider it," the paladin replied.

"Good." Bishop wasn't sure why, but he suddenly very badly wanted to punch the paladin in his holy face. He stored his disgust for later when he could truly lash out against him. Despite the rain, Bishop then stomped toward the outside.

Immediately, though, the ranger was alarmed by his own behavior. He had wanted to fight the paladin, sure, but why had he threatened him so publicly, so suddenly, as if he had something to prove?

_What the hell has gotten into me?_ he thought, as he slammed the Keep's doors shut.

Lily looked after the distraught ranger, then turned her focus to Casavir, walking back over to him.

"What was that?"

"Bishop has challenged me to a duel. I am not sure whether I will accept."

"I see," Lily said softly, frowning. She had been expecting this to happen for awhile.

"My lady, are you all right?"

"Yep!" she said, her face suddenly lightening up. She didn't want to linger on the negativity that currently pervaded the air. "Say, why don't you help me fix up a proper bed for Ounce?"

"How can I be of service?"

"We could use some of the pillows from the basement to give him something soft. He can sleep with me occasionally, but I'd like to have my bed to myself sometimes too."

"All right," Casavir nodded. He was happy to help, even if for a small task like this. In fact, he liked this; they didn't have to be all business and battle all the time. He walked with Lily to the basement to fetch some of the extra pillows there, helping carry a larger one back up the stairs. When they set some of them up against the side wall in Lily's room, the cat – having escaped from Neeshka's grabby and overaffectionate hands – came in and jumped on another pillow still in Lily's arms.

"Oh, my," she said, laughing. "Hi."

Ounce meowed and tried to keep his balance as she lowered the last pillow on top of his new bed. He looked around and put his head close to the cushions to sniff, then laid down on them. He didn't seem tired, moreso like he was testing the pillows' worth.

"Is that suitable, young prince?" Lily asked.

Ounce just looked up at her, but his tail was thumping, and he didn't move from his spot. Lily smiled.

Casavir stood, waiting in case his Leader wished for something else. Instead, he got a question:

"So, what do you think? About Bishop's challenge?"

Casavir frowned. "It is a very rough way to handle things, to be sure. However, I think there is a small possibility he would stop being so grave if I were to win."

Lily nodded, but said nothing.

"What do you think, my lady?"

She looked straight ahead. "I can't say it comes as a surprise that he's coming after you. At least he's doing it in a somewhat orderly fashion instead of just turning on you randomly on the battlefield." Casavir agreed. The ranger had had enough civility in him to ask fairly, and for that, Casavir was grateful. Suddenly turning on him during a battle could've gotten others who weren't involved in their quarrel hurt.

The elf wore an indescribable expression on her face now.

"If it comes to that, though," Lily continued, moving to stand right in front of him, "Then..." she began, a wistful expression on her face. Casavir looked inquiring.

"Then I hope you win, Casavir," she finished, catching his eye and smiling. She wasn't sure if she should proceed with the sudden urge she had. Thus, her hand moved slowly, hesitantly, up to his cheek, and Casavir watched her with the utmost wonder and curiosity. When he felt her cool touch land, his lips parted slightly, and a breath escaped between them. His eyes stared questioningly into hers as he relished the sweet, tender feeling of her skin on his.

Lily stroked his cheek, brushing her fingers over his high cheekbones and admiring their pleasant addition to his overall appearance. He was so loyal to their cause and committed to her protection; she felt the need to thank him for tolerating the trouble with Bishop because of his choice, and her influence.

"My lady..." Casavir started. He didn't know what to say in his stupor. As Lily thought, Casavir stood. He didn't even think of removing her hand, or drawing back.

"You have the utmost loyalty to our cause, and to me, Casavir. I thank you for it." She slowly placed her hand back at her side.

The paladin allowed himself an appreciative grin. "Not at all, my lady." He was humbled.

"If you win, Bishop might indeed leave you alone. Perhaps it'd shut him up for awhile," she suggested hopefully. She eyed him in his silence, noticing his tenseness. "Don't be so stiff, Casavir!"

Casavir grinned, regaining some of his wits. "My apologies." He wondered silently as to her motivation in caressing him suddenly like that. He could hardly say he minded, no matter what it was.

"Shall we return to the others?"

"We shall," Lily agreed, opening the half-closed door to her room. To her surprise, Ammon Jerro was waiting just outside. "Oh! Ammon, hello."

"Hi. I'd like to have a word," he said. "I didn't want to interrupt you two."

Casavir's face grew hot. With a nod of the head and a "my lady," he excused himself to the main hall. Lily nodded back and invited Ammon inside her room.

He delved straight into the point. "I don't really make a habit of getting involved in the drama of others, but the druid just made that impossible." Ammon sighed. "She told me she spotted you and that ill-tempered ranger alone in the forest together. She didn't get into what you two were doing, but from what she made it sound like, I really didn't want to know."

Lily gasped. _That person in the woods...was Elanee?_

"Elanee? Really? That just..." She thought for a moment, brows knitting together. "That just doesn't seem like her."

"I have no idea why she came to _me_, either. I assume it's because she wants me to tell everyone so she doesn't have to take the blame when the ranger finds out it wasn't kept a secret. He apparently threatened her to keep quiet."

Lily folded her arms. _Bishop doesn't want others finding out, huh? I suppose that makes sense; if those tavern wenches were to find out, they probably wouldn't be very happy._ She huffed. She felt she might be being a little unfair, but he was awfully dismissive of her the night before, so at least for the moment, she didn't feel bad about it.

"Problem with that is, he'd know she was the one to let it out, because no one else was in that forest. My guess is that she doesn't fully understand what a warlock is, and thinks I can see things from a ridiculous distance." He looked aggravated, and a little misunderstood. He frowned. "I don't know why she didn't pick someone else - maybe someone in her same age bracket, for instance - but I'm not going to say a word of it to anyone else. It seemed fine to come to you because you're the one who's being gossiped about." His grating voice had a tint of disgust.

"Well, Elanee is an elf, so she's probably much older than she looks. She should be ashamed for acting like a teenager."

Ammon nodded. "Do what you will with the information. I have no interest in spreading it, but she might tell others once she realizes I'm not doing it for her."

That bothered Lily, a lot. "Why is she doing this?" she wondered aloud. "It doesn't make any sense. I thought Elanee liked me."

The warlock shrugged. "Anyway, I'll tell you if I hear anything else about it from her or the others. And I won't tell the ranger. I'll let you decide how to handle that mess."

"Thank you, Ammon. I greatly appreciate you coming to me with this."

He nodded again and left.

Lily had half a mind to go join the others in the hall again, but instead, she sat down at a table inside the room, resting her chin on her hand. She looked at the wall.

_What's going on?_


	53. Chapter 53

* 53 * 7/25/12

The rain hadn't let up. Lightning struck off in the distance, far from the Keep, but its loud thunder could be heard quite clearly.

Bishop stood to the east of the inn. He looked up to the sky and felt the downpour on his skin. It was as if he was bathing, being cleansed. At least, that's what he wanted it to feel like. But all the rain really did was remind him of how he felt when he saw Lily's hair float in sections on the delicate stream, framing her face like petals of a flower. He remembered her light green eyes staring up at him, questioning him lightly as he laid above her. He remembered how she pulled him closer to her. He remembered her laugh as she nuzzled against him, encouraging him to not be so serious. The rain, which he had so long loved for its exorcising abilities, was now painful.

Painful because he hated how he was becoming. He had wanted to challenge the paladin to a duel for awhile, but it had been done so hastily and publicly, and he thought he now understood why. Elanee's blackmail and his mind's refusal of her body had set him off, and he had felt the need to prove to himself that he was still the hardened, indifferent ranger he had been for so many years. He wouldn't lose himself to a woman; that's what he saw in Casavir, and he despised it. But despite telling himself that, here he was, standing in the rain. Thinking about her.

He had lectured the paladin on letting himself become too involved with a woman. He had told him that he needed to be more honest with his holy self, and see that he was becoming nothing more than a loyal puppy to his Leader. Bishop, at least, had the foresight to see what was happening. He knew that he was falling in love with Lily. He knew, when he had drugged her and wanted to bed her, that it was an abnormal craving; he would never go to that extent with just any woman. He knew that meant he craved her so much his desire became heated, and that that's why he had been rushing so desperately to satiate it; to get it out of his system.

He knew that he had a sensitive spot for her. He knew that he was bothered because she was upset with him for dismissing her the night before. He knew that desiring to kiss her in the stream was not an instruction that came from below his belt, but from above it. He wasn't deluded about any of this at all. But the question was: how could he stop it? If there were to be future moments like that with Lily, he couldn't see himself pulling away; not after tasting the bittersweet emotions that time in the stream had afforded him.

He sighed. _Maybe I should've taken the treehugger up on her deal..._


	54. Chapter 54 - T

_**Ceye's note**__: Fun fact: This chapter holds the record for being the most edited chapter of this entire fic so far, with four thorough, separate edits on four separate days. Whew!_

...

* 54 * 7/26/12, 1/12/13, 3/4/13, 3/8/13

The rain finally stopped, but it was already the late afternoon. Most of the group had spent the day inside selling their wares to Uncus the merchant, chatting, and for some, even playing games.

Neeshka and Grobnar were playing with Ounce, who had been running around wildly on the floor ever since Neeshka relinquished hold on him. The small cat had taken a liking to Grobnar; the rock gnome was easy to jump on, even for the cat's young hind legs. Neeshka lavished Ounce with attention, but he seemed to be hiding from her in Grobnar's hair.

Lily was happy to see that Ounce was taken care of even when she wasn't the one doing it. Watching the three of them have carefree fun lessened the tension she felt in the back of her mind. Feeling a bit better, she went outside and took a whiff of the damp air. She could smell the fertile soil from the fields, and suddenly, she longed to go into the woods again. Tomorrow, however, the group had a Wendersnaven to find! Lily reflected on how she hadn't spent time with Grobnar for awhile, and vowed to change that with their gnome-focused journey the next day.

But first, she had a matter to attend to.

She made the now-familiar walk to the inn and stepped inside. This time, unlike in the past, she did a quick scan of the place, checking for any tavern girls. Sure enough, there was one; probably a civilian who marketed herself as a "merchant" until she dropped all pretenses inside the pub. Lily didn't see a problem with it, really; she was mostly just curious as to whether any prostitutes had come to offer their services in this particular tavern.

Lily marched to Bishop's room and knocked on the door. She heard the sound of a heavy clatter against wood and supposed that was the ranger setting his drink down. A moment later, the door opened.

"Oh," Lily gasped. Bishop's hair was sopping wet, as if he'd just taken a bath but nearly drowned himself. The bandages around his torso were soaked through, and she could see behind him that his cloak was in a similar state. His eyes looked...hopeful? Lily couldn't put her finger on it, but the way he looked at her - with his head slightly tilted to his right - was different from usual.

"Um, can I come in?" She wasn't sure what to make of his unkempt state.

"Yeah."

Lily passed by him and settled on the chair to the right of his spot. The ranger had apparently been in the process of drying his hair, because he now batted at it with a cloth. Suddenly, he stopped and met her gaze. "What did you come here for?"

Lily sighed, starting to feel exasperated again. She ignored it to the best of her ability. "I wanted to tell you that Elanee has leaked what she saw to Ammon, but thankfully he came to me instead of the others."

Bishop pursed his lips and stayed quiet for a few moments. "Thankfully?" he finally asked. He didn't know that she also didn't want the rumor to spread.

"I don't really care if I'm seen with you, but I know it wouldn't please your tavern wench to know that you were trying to bait another female." Lily folded her arms across her chest, still feeling bitter about the night before.

Bishop's eyebrows furrowed. _My tavern wench? _As he had expected, she was getting the entirely wrong impression.

"I wasn't trying to bait you," the ranger answered defensively. "And I don't _have_ a tavern wench."

"So hand-feeding me vanilla nectar while you gazed at me with that expression on your face _wasn't_ making a move on me?" she teased in disbelief.

Bishop started to speak, but he quickly abandoned his thought.

Lily filled in for him: "Don't have a tavern wench, huh? That seems unlike you."

"Please. That one out there seems barely older than a teenager."

Lily laughed. "Oh, so that's why. Well, I'm sure you have to wait hardly a few more days and another'll take her place. We could even get some from Neverwinter if they're not to your liking."

Bishop was bothered by how serious she seemed when saying this.

"Anyway, I wanted to inform you about Elanee, but I also don't want you to kill her," she said, entirely serious. "I'm still surprised she told anyone, though, or was even watching, for that matter. It doesn't really make sense to me, but perhaps I'm missing something."

_You are,_ Bishop thought. He wasn't sure how he wanted to play that card yet, though, and thus kept quiet about it.

Without warning, Lily got up out of her seat and made to leave. Bishop, confused, asked, "Where are you going?"

Lily turned back to him. "I just wanted to let you know about Elanee. I'm going back to the Keep." She continued to the door.

"Wait."

Lily faced him again, stopping in her tracks this time. "Yes?"

"Have you taken a look at your injury?" he asked slowly, concentrating, trying not to sound interrogating. The amount of effort it took to tone down his usual manner of speaking was almost disturbing.

The elf faltered. "What?" She had actually forgotten what injury he was talking about. After a second, though, it hit her. "Oh. No, I guess not."

Bishop sighed. "You don't know what's out there. Could've fallen on a stinger for all you know."

Lily stayed standing, nonplussed. "I... I guess so." She looked a little dumbfounded as to how to react.

"I can tell you what it is if I get a look," he offered.

Lily thought about it, and finally grinned a little. "Will you stop bugging me about it if you see it?"

"Yeah."

"Then fine," she laughed. She walked back over and turned her back to him.

Bishop already had his gloves and bracers off and had left them on the table. Lily fixed her messy, bedhead bun of hair while he positioned himself, not wanting to obstruct his observation. The sun elf was dressed in a shirt and pants since there had been no quest that day; this conveniently made her wound a lot more accessible than it would normally be with her wizard robes.

When he was finished with his accessories, Bishop took a side of Lily's shirt in each hand and slowly lifted the material upward. Her smooth, tan skin slowly revealed itself more and more...and the ranger saw no imperfection as of yet, injury or otherwise. A bit higher...

There it was. At the height of her navel, but on her back, there was a gash the size and shape of a large stone. There was another, smaller oval imprint above that, likely from a smaller rock.

"Nothing from an animal, but you shouldn't leave this untreated, either. Heavy blunt impact."

"Well, with that kind of wound, I doubt wrapping it up would do it any good."

"No, but your back must feel stiff as a board."

Lily hmphed. This was correct: her back had been aching sorely ever since she woke up.

She suddenly gasped; Bishop's warm hand had settled on the larger injury, and he was pushing on it. Lily winced. "What...are you doing?" she asked between breaths.

"Stretching the muscles. Stay still."

As he worked on the same spot over and over, it grew used to his touch, and not only stopped hurting, but gradually loosened up. Lily was thankful for some of the tension to leave. "That feels good," she cooed as her eyes narrowed.

He continued for a few moments. "Lie down," he said, though it was more of an offer than an order. Lily agreed and moved to the bed. She lied down carefully on her stomach, but even lowering herself to that position was an arduous task.

Bishop dragged a chair over to the bedside and sat down. He leaned over her and lifted her shirt again, placing both hands on her bare back and kneading the muscles there. Lily moaned. "Lower," she advised breathlessly.

The pressure moved lower to the small of her back, and her back arched downward slightly, cupping the ceiling. After that area had gotten a few moments of attention, he circled higher and massaged the areas lying above his starting point. "Yeah, there," she encouraged with vigor, her voice quiet but pleased. Bishop's strong hands felt so good ironing out the tension from the impact that Lily had to force her lips shut to keep from crying out every now and again.

Bishop pushed his thumbs into the area just beneath her shoulder blades gently at first, then harder. They moved in circles to encompass a larger surface area, and when he moved his kneading fingers up to where her back and neck muscles met, Lily couldn't help but moan again into the pillow. The ranger had expected her to have some neck tension, but not as much as he felt there; he carefully worked her lower neck and then moved to her shoulders, and Lily grew silent except for a few soft exhalations now and then.

"Better?" the ranger asked simply. Lily nodded into her pillow, as her voice didn't seem to work at the moment.

But when Bishop took his hands off of her, she gained it back: "Do my neck, please."

Bishop chuckled. "Don't think I can turn that way from this side of the bed."

"Then come up here," she commanded impatiently, grabbing him by his chest bandage and lifting him to a leaning position over her.

Bishop smirked. "Where'd all this energy come from, elf?" He then sat lightly on her legs, supporting himself with his knees as he reached up again to her neck. He still had droplets of water on his skin, but the wetness dripping onto her back didn't bother Lily. She was far too distracted to be bothered by anything right now. The ranger squeezed her neck muscles in all the right places, and Lily was floored, her whole body relaxing more and more by the second.

"Bishop... That feels so good... Do more..." she pleaded with the one who now had full control over her.

Bishop breathed slowly in an attempt to calm his rapid heartbeat. She was moaning his name, over and over, and his hormones definitely took notice.

He leaned farther up and lowered himself over her form. From there, he continued his work on her neck muscles until he could no longer feel her tendons fight against him. Lily lay still, breathing quietly against the pillow. Silence followed, and in it, Bishop slowly laid fully on top of her back, supporting most of his weight with his elbows and forearms. Lily breathed out in surprise.

"I earned this, I'd say," Bishop whispered teasingly, his nose against her ear.

Lily shook her head against the pillow. She should've known she couldn't get something for nothing from the Chaotic Evil ranger. When he settled his face in between her left shoulder and neck, she gasped, grabbing a fistful of the bedsheets. The ranger could feel his desire ramping up, and fast. He bit her lightly there, and Lily began to beg, feeling his strong, chiseled form against her back. "Bishop, please..." She started quivering, her breath rapid.

"This position is..." _Unfair. Scandalous._ "Bishop..." she cried simply instead. In response, he only bit her again, refusing to get off of her. He felt down her side to her waist, touching her bare skin there. Again he bit her, possessively this time, and again she begged. "Please, Bishop..." Her begging was driving him crazy. Bishop grazed her cheek with the side of his face, tickling her with his facial hair.

_I need this..._

_No. No, I don't. I just crave her. I don't need her._

Bishop began fantasizing about what it would be like if he took it further, imagined her begging him to finish her. He imagined pounding her as she moaned over and over, and over...and over... He started panting from the incredible thought, the extreme adrenaline rush. He had never been so driven wild by a woman's charm, had never been so flustered before.

_I..._

_I do need it..._

_Too much..._

He squeezed more of her pliable, soft skin firmly in his rampant desire.

_Way too much..._

Far too much for comfort.

Just then, he pulled his dagger out from the holder on Lily's pants and reluctantly slid off of her in one swift movement.

"Got it," he proclaimed, brandishing the knife.

Lily turned her head to the side and looked at him in absolute disbelief. She rolled over onto her no-longer-aching back and stared at him, her shirt rolling down and back into place. Then, she laughed. "Is that what you wanted?"

Bishop looked at her like she was stupid. "You took it from me." But the smirk he gave her told her he knew exactly why she was reacting that way. Lily couldn't stop giggling. She still had a deep flush on her face, and it made Bishop's heart skip a beat. It also reminded him of the incredible sensations he had just very reluctantly foregone.

_I had to, _he tried to convince his aching body.

But it was clearly not very pleased with him, choosing only to pump adrenaline through his veins as he looked at the sun elf before him.

How appropriate that her race matched the shine of her skin, and the radiance of her smile in that instant.


	55. Chapter 55

* 55 * 7/26/12, 1/12/13, 3/4/13, 3/8/13

The ranger seemed to be in a good mood as he set the skinning knife on his damp clothing. He looked up, sensing an opportunity after having loosened her up.

"Last night, when I told you you should take a look at it..." he started, referencing her wound, "...I wasn't telling you to get the hell out," he finished somewhat brazenly.

Lily sat up straight and nodded. "I figured it was because you didn't want me knowing anything more about you, or your village. But it was hard to know for sure, and you sounded so angry."

Bishop's expression grew a bit sour at the mention of his village, but he quickly fixed it. He didn't want to say something that would make her leave in a huff again.

Suddenly: "That can't possibly be comfortable," Lily commented, still working off her laughter.

Bishop looked down. His wet bandages looked like tape against his chest, clinging to him for dear life.

"Let me fix that," Lily offered, getting up from her seat on the bed.

"Ah-ah!" he said. He picked up the knife he had taken back from her and held it over his head and out of her reach. He then cut the bandages off himself, returning the dagger to its spot on top of his cloak when he was finished.

"Don't worry, ranger, I won't steal your precious skinning knife again," Lily promised. She took another roll of bandages out of her bag and approached him. After setting the roll on the table, she picked up the cloth he had been patting against his hair earlier and began wiping his chest dry.

Bishop watched her as she worked. Her strokes were firm but pleasant, and it took her a few seconds to dry him enough to her liking, seconds that the ranger spent memorizing the concentrated look on her face, and the feel of her putting soft pressure on his chest. When she was satisfied, she took the roll of bandages and began wrapping up his torso again, keeping the material close to his skin but leaving enough room for him to breathe. She finished, setting the roll down and biting off the end with her teeth.

"Why were you out in the rain?" she asked gently.

"Rain doesn't bother me."

Lily waited for him to continue, but he didn't.

"Will you ever answer that question?"

Bishop looked at her. He was about to say no, but her expression looked a little...sad. He cleared his throat and lowered his gaze.

"I was...thinking."

She didn't press him further, was glad she had even gotten that much out of him.

"I heard you challenge Casavir," she started.

"We'll see if he'll back down. Can't say I'd be surprised."

The glower on the ranger's face was unbearable. Lily tsked. "What are you trying to prove, Bishop? If you win, your gloating will be more intolerable than ever."

Her questioning hit him, because he still didn't fully understand what he was doing himself. It made sense that he wanted to fight Casavir, and wanted to challenge him in his moment of frustration, but he had no idea what he'd do if he won. What _would_ it prove? That in a very specific, controlled, no-armor and no-weapons fight, he could throw the paladin through a wall? It would make him feel better, but it certainly wouldn't prove anything of use.

Bishop looked at her to try and find answers to explain his behavior in her glorious, green pools. They held each other's gaze. After a few seconds, he realized he couldn't stop looking at her. The ambient noise seemed to have simply disappeared, and all that could be heard was their harsh breathing. They took a risk and took in the sight of one another, their gaze moving up and down, every now and then meeting each other's again for a few seconds only to become distracted once more.

"Bishop..." Lily ventured, after several intense minutes had passed. "What...do you want?"

Bishop sucked in a breath. He knew what she meant, but he'd never been asked that before. He drew nearer and almost touched his nose to her forehead, feeling as uncertain as if he were a child again. He lingered there, lost in thought, and in the emotions that had been swirling around in his mind lately. Then, he put a hand on each of her shoulders and pulled her a bit closer.

Lily slowly brought her hands up to set them on his bandages, wondering as to his motives. He suddenly wrapped his arms protectively around her shoulders and drew her nearer to him, setting his chin on top of her hair.

"Bishop..." Lily whispered. Her face, pressed closely against his chest, shone a mixture of emotions, several of which combined to make her face turn color.

He wasn't sure what holding her like this made her think, but he braved the storm and didn't check her expression.

"You're warm," he heard her whisper. Her voice sounded dreamy, relaxed, comfortable. He closed his eyes.

They stood in silence for several heartbeats. His arms loosened up enough for her to break free if she wanted, but neither of them pulled away. They didn't admit anything to each other, didn't explain why they remained locked in each other's embrace.

Lily sighed suddenly. "One or both of you are going to end up getting badly hurt if you fight," she stated softly. Bishop opened his eyes slowly, but said nothing. He knew this was the truth. If the paladin got hurt, the melee support of the team would be greatly weakened. If he got hurt, the long-ranged support would falter. It was a very selfish move either way.

"You obviously can't stand each other, but the only way that can really be fixed is if one of you leaves. Fighting will make you more hostile; you'll brag shamelessly if you win and just hold it in and seethe quietly if you lose."

A soft breath.

"So what you're doing is really stupid," Lily concluded after a lingering silence.

Bishop smirked slightly. She had a sharp tongue, and he loved that. He played what would happen if he won or lost in his head. He could see himself feeling victorious, superior, but returning to his regular, moody state quickly, having annoyed everyone else in the party in the process, and likely being ignored by Lily for it. If he lost, he'd be bitter toward the paladin, even more than he already was.

"And you said I hug people," Lily teased after several more moments.

"This isn't a hug," Bishop explained sheepishly, though clearly it was.

Lily waited a few more seconds before continuing, "I won't tell you what to do, Bishop." He knew what she meant. It was up to him whether he chose to go through with the duel.

Finally, the embrace was broken, and Lily disengaged herself from her position in his arms. She had to admit, it had been quite comfortable, despite being entirely unexpected. She tilted her head and looked at him curiously for awhile.

Then she impulsively got on her toes and kissed his cheek. Bishop quickly turned his face toward hers in reaction and nearly brushed his lips against hers.

The elf pulled back and saw the grin on the ranger's face. She didn't think that was intentional, but it amused him all the same. Not being able to take his grinning face giving off subtle, lewd insinuations, she changed the subject.

"Tomorrow we set out to find the Wendersnaven!" she started. The sheer mention of it made Bishop roll his eyes. "I know, I know," she said, herself amused as well. "But before that, I think we should do something about Elanee."

"I haven't seen her since..." Bishop began, but then realized the last time he saw Elanee was in his room, trying to seduce him. "...this morning," he finished lamely.

"We should go look for her," Lily suggested. Bishop nodded. He summoned Karnwyr...

...But there was no response.

"What the?" Bishop mouthed quietly. He tried again, then looked up at Lily's confused face. "Karnwyr won't come."

"That's strange. Has that ever happened before?"

"No." He thought about it a bit. Then it hit him, the events of the day making it perfectly possible: of course; there had been a huge window of opportunity!

"There's only one person who has the ability to charm even my wolf to her side with her tree-humping ways."

Ignoring his brashness, Lily filled in, "Elanee."

"The druid," Bishop agreed. "_And_ there's only one place she'd take him."

"The Mere!"


	56. Chapter 56 - M

_**Ceye's note**__: I really suggest you leave now if you're afraid of rated M stories. This is the first rated M and "real" lemon chapter...though it's not even that extreme yet. I've corrected the ratings on the other chapters to T in comparison._

...

* 56 * 1/12/13

The way to the Mere was simple to find: all Lily had to do was follow in Bishop's footsteps and she was able to completely avoid harm or even detection from anything in the forest. The journey took them a few hours, so that by the time they arrived, the sky was navy blue going on black.

The two of them looked around and saw no sign of Elanee, but that didn't fool Bishop. He tried to summon Karnwyr once more and heard a deep bark originating from right in front of them. Their eyes were deceiving them.

"A barrier. I wonder if I can get through," Lily mused, casting a spell before Bishop even had the chance to call her stupid.

In the next second, Lily found herself on the other side. She gathered her senses and then spotted Karnwyr, a few meters off to her right. Looking behind her, she saw no sign of Bishop. She whirled back around and immediately came face-to-face with Elanee.

The druid's demeanor was hostile yet welcoming at the same time. Her expression was almost uninterested, but her brows were furrowed.

"Looks like the ranger isn't so out-of-touch with nature after all," she commented idly.

"Why did you take Karnwyr?" Lily demanded.

"Him?" Elanee brandished her arm to her left at the bright wolf. "Well, he got you here, didn't he?" Lily's eyes narrowed. Sensing her confusion, Elanee continued, "That barrier you went through is only able to be entered by one with enough will. However, it's not such a simple task getting out; you need fortitude for that," she explained with a chuckle.

"And you have both," Lily finished dryly, scowling at the druid. She was trapped.

"That is why balance is important. If too much of your power is vested close-range combat, you won't be able to enter. However, since your interest is in spells...you won't be able to leave. Guess the ranger is out of luck trying to help you; this field can only be broken from the inside."

"What do you want?" Lily asked impatiently. She had never viewed Elanee as an adversary before, but with this intolerable bout of taunting, her mind was changing quickly.

"I want you to stay away from Bishop."

"I won't."

Elanee tsked. "You see, that's why I brought Karnwyr. The Mere has been possessed by unkind spirits recently. The wolf's mind is no match for the willpower of the Mere."

Lily gasped, the realization dawning upon her. "That's why you've changed! You're not even Elanee anymore!"

"It is only natural for druids with such a strong bond to the Mere to feel the effect," the shadow of Elanee explicated simply. "Are you sure you can't stay away from the ranger?"

"I can get close to whomever the hell I please," the wizard stated firmly. Just then, in reply to her insolence, a vine from the tree to Lily's left grabbed her by her ankle and pulled her upside down. Another wrapped itself around her right. Lily struggled, but groaned when she found it proved useless. She began casting Fireball, despite knowing some of it would hit her, too, but the vines surrounded her dagger and lifted it neatly out of her hands, enough of a distraction to interrupt her casting. Then they wrapped entirely around her lower thighs as Elanee used a scroll of Blindness to prevent further irritation from the elf wizard.

"Karnwyr, sic." Dark Elanee's face contorted into a malevolent grin.

The wolf ambled toward Lily and started tearing her armor to shreds. Lily's skin was quickly exposed to the chilled night air, and she winced at the normally friendly Karnwyr's wild and hostile movements. The mad wolf focused on her slacks, and within seconds they were fully ripped through. Without warning, Karnwyr's tongue then started sliding between Lily's legs, right up against the cloth material that covered her slit.

"Agh!" Lily cried loudly, trying desperately to close them, but the vines held her legs wide open. "Stop it!" she shouted frantically at the wolf, but the wolf only kept licking, torturing her. Almost in reply, Karnwyr grabbed hold of her panties with his teeth and ripped them off before continuing to lick her, this time with no barriers to her primed skin. She threw her head back and moaned against her will, embarrassed beyond belief. She was already so wet from her heated encounter with Bishop, and Karnwyr was lapping it all up voraciously.

Elanee's shadow laughed. "Unbearable, isn't it?"

Lily didn't want to admit it, but it was. Having any form of Elanee watch as her loins were being licked made the elf close her eyes in humiliation. Despite this, she couldn't help but cry out when the wolf's tongue flitted repeatedly over her clit.

"The cold air adds a certain sensitivity to your skin, doesn't it?" the druid taunted, cooing as she walked over to Lily. She tore the other sleeve off of the sun elf's shirt. Lily made to hit Elanee, but the druid incarnate anticipated this and merely waved at the tree once more. A number of vines wrapped around Lily's wrists and cut slightly into her skin, holding her still, trapped. The doppelganger tore open a hole in Lily's shirt, almost revealing the sun elf's breasts. Lily cried out, beginning to pant hysterically.

Laughing, Elanee reached over to touch one of Lily's breasts through the cloth, playing with it attentively. "Soft and supple. They're lovely," she cooed with a smile. "I might want to see them," she pondered aloud. When Lily almost kicked her, she calmly walked in the opposite direction again, toward what looked to be an even larger tree than the one attacking Lily.

"Stop it," Lily ordered once more, her voice growing quieter. She found herself begging again, begging Karnwyr just like she had begged his owner. "Stop it, _please_..." All she could hear was the sound of Karnwyr's tongue sliding up against where her panties once were, making her even wetter. She began panting, fumbling uselessly with her hands against the vines' solid grip as she felt herself quickly approaching orgasm.

"Why...this...?" Lily managed to ask between breaths, desperately trying to keep her mind rational instead of being overcome by sensation. "Of all things..." Her hips began heaving upward and tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't think she was going to be able to stop it, even despite this malevolent druid looking on.

"A form of torture...or is it?" Dark Elanee called from afar. "Bishop is not available, but you may have Karnwyr. See? He seems to like you," she taunted, making Lily's face only grow redder. "Or at least, you may have _this_ form of Karnwyr. He hasn't been feeling like himself today," the alter-ego proclaimed with a smirk.

Just then, a silhouette appeared behind Elanee. Clothed entirely in robes, the shrouded figure came behind the druid and held a large falchion to her throat.

Lily gasped, relief puncturing her overwhelming bodily sensations. _That's...Lorne's falchion! _That could only mean...

Bishop's hood fell from his hair as he whipped his head around Dark Elanee's shoulder to look into her face. "Hmph. You're not the treehugger I'm used to."

The doppelganger shrieked. "How did you get in here?"

"Who cares?" Bishop spat. "Where's Li..._ly_?!" he finished, finally catching sight of the sun elf tangled in green and brown hues. He quickly saw what was happening to her, though it didn't register properly in his head at first.

With his free hand, Bishop waved toward himself and called, "Karnwyr!" The wolf immediately stopped his onslaught against Lily's loins and ran to Bishop's side obediently. Lily gave a heavy, trembling sigh of relief, instantaneously closing her thighs as Karnwyr moved away. Her breathing began calming down bit by bit.

"What the hell were you doing to her? And to Karnwyr?" Bishop demanded. "I can tell this whole area is possessed; it stinks of demons and dark druids," he added.

Regaining an ounce of her composure, Lily weakly suggested, "M-Maybe if we break out of here we can get the real Elanee back." She spoke as if she couldn't fully concentrate, drugged on sensation.

Bishop smirked, taking note of her expression. "I thought you'd never ask. I'll take any excuse to get out of these stupid robes. Karnwyr!" The wolf's tail began moving back and forth. "Keep her detained. And not...like you did to the other elf," he added. Lily's face grew hot again. Bishop gave her an unapologetic grin.

Karnwyr tackled Elanee's doppelganger and kept his sharp teeth near her throat, prepared to bite if she tried to move. Bishop took the brief respite to change back into his leather chest armor, abandoning the robe along with its magic-enhancing properties. He approached Lily and cut the vines with his skinning knife, but as he did so, another came and strapped him across the back like a whip in the wound Casavir gave him.

Bishop swore, but Karnwyr had it under control: he had drawn blood from Dark Elanee's throat as soon as she had moved her arm, and the druid now lay still once more. Thankfully Bishop's injury had improved to the point that it wasn't tender to the touch anymore.

The newly-freed Lily got to her feet and made a beeline for the robe Bishop had just thrown off. Casavir would never let her go outside again if she came back wearing her current attire.

"Hurry up. We still have to get back to the Keep, and no one's gonna leave you alone ever again if you're not there before nighty-night time," he mused sarcastically, echoing Lily's own thoughts.

As soon as the sun elf slipped the robe over her clothes, Bishop walked to her and picked her up under one arm. "Hey –!" she protested.

"You don't know how these barriers work, do you? You can't get out unless you've got a lot of strength." He eyed her for emphasis. "And it looks like you're gonna need to borrow some of mine." Lily stuck her tongue out at him.

The ranger approached Karnwyr, who backed up as his owner came close. Bishop picked up the druid incarnate in his other arm, then – in the blink of an eye – ran directly toward the barrier's walls. Upon contact, he broke through it, Karnwyr in tow.

The ranger quickly but carefully lowered both elves to the grass; he wasn't built to carry that much weight in each arm for too long.

Lily stood. She looked curiously over at Elanee, who was lying face-first on the grass. She seemed to be passed out.

Bishop tapped her with his boot. "Get up."

The odd sensation snapped the druid back to her senses. "Ohhh..." she moaned, raising herself to her knees.

"Elanee? Is that you?" asked Lily, kneeling in front of Elanee. She was wary that the other elf might be faking.

"Lily!" she cried at her Leader's voice. She looked pained as she struggled to piece together where she was, how she'd gotten here. She had recalled barely a minute's worth of what had just transpired before she put her hand over her mouth in horror. "Lily, I... I don't even know what to say..."

"You remember...what just happened?" inquired Lily, feeling her face flush again.

"I'm so sorry. The Mere...it called for help today. It was being attacked – too many demons were trying to take hold of it. I felt its influence. I must have...turned."

Lily got to her feet again. "It's alright...I think. Anyway, let's go back now." The sun elf desperately wanted to get back to the Keep now.

Elanee somehow managed to talk to Lily on the way back...but she didn't even once look at Bishop.

...

_**Ceye's note**__: Please stop now if that was a bit much for you. It's not going to get any less rated as we move along. If not, you're cool, you're my kind'a kid, dawg. Or something._


	57. Chapter 57

* 57 * 1/12/13

"We better go in first without you, Bishop," Lily suggested as the group of three neared Crossroad Keep. "I don't want to make it a habit to show up alone with you and get on Casavir's nerves." She giggled, remembering the last time with a bit more humor now that Bishop's wound was getting better.

"Yeah, whatever," replied Bishop, though he agreed that that would probably be a good idea. Besides, he wasn't in the mood to see the Angel of Goodness anyway. He glared harsly at Elanee to ascertain whether she was back to herself before leaving, presumably to return to his room in the inn.

The elves opened the door to the castle and peeked inside. The only person in sight was Uncus the merchant. Perhaps the others were eating in the dining hall. Or perhaps the group was worried sick and out looking for them in the dead of night. Lily hoped it wasn't the latter.

"Let's go to the library," Lily whispered. "We might be able to act like we were hiding out in there all evening. First, though, I'm going to put something on over these slacks." Lily gestured to where her torn slacks were through the robes and Elanee nodded. She tiptoed to her room, discarded the robe, and quickly put on a light green skirt over her tattered slacks before both she and Elanee crept to the east wing of the castle and eased the library door open. Luckily, Aldanon wasn't in his usual spot. Or maybe that was a bad thing. Lily didn't want to think anymore about where everyone could possibly be.

The two girls huddled in a corner and pulled out semi-interesting books from the high-stacked shelves.

"Now we just wait until we hear something before coming out."

They read for about half an hour before Elanee looked up from her book.

"Lily," she whispered.

"Yes?"

"I am so sorry about what happened today."

"Don't be; you didn't know what you were doing. Plus it was...an interesting experience, to say the least," Lily finished with a quiet, uncertain laugh. She did have to admit it had been...different. She felt her cheeks heat up again, though, and quickly abandoned the thought.

Elanee seemed slightly relieved, but was obviously still bothered that she had been taken over like that. She felt vulnerable, but that was probably nothing compared to how vulnerable Lily had felt.

Just then, the girls heard a commotion start outside. A flurry of voices, including that of Commander Kana. Lily hadn't paid attention to her for awhile, she recalled with a chuckle.

"Oh!" she said aloud, then covered her mouth. She had forgotten that tonight was when she was supposed to decide on who became the head of recruitment, who became in charge of patrolling the roads, and other posts. She jumped to her feet and made her way to the main hall, Elanee following her despite not understanding what was going on.

Once Lily cleared the main wall of the east wing, she was bombarded with stimuli. A new voice here, friends there, a Bishop there...

_Bishop? _Lily spotted him and wondered. _I guess he heard about the commotion from the innkeeper and came over._

One person – well, half a person – finally saw Lily.

"Lily!" Grobnar shouted gleefully. At the sound of their Leader's name, almost everyone turned to look at her. Elanee had already faded undetectably into the masses, so Lily now stood alone. She almost felt like she should bow, what with all the attention.

"Where were ya, Lily?" asked Neeshka spiritedly.

"I completely forgot about tonight, I'm sorry!" Lily responded, aiming her words at Kana. "I got caught up reading." Bishop smirked at this.

Khelgar guffawed. "_Readin'? _Why in the hell would you want to do that?" He gave a hearty laugh. Sand frowned.

Casavir's expression was pleasant. He looked totally fine, to Lily's relief, and didn't seem to suspect anything at all. She didn't think for a second that she'd be able to pull that excuse off a second time, though – she never really spent _that_ much time in the library, and the others probably knew that by now.

Thankfully this event was today, Lily thought. It meant that Sand and Aldanon hadn't been in the library as they normally were, so her story became that much more believable. Bishop looked like he'd had enough and was on his way out.

And then she saw him. Behind Bishop, there had been a figure. Tall. Rich, brown, shaggy hair. Blue eyes.

Bevil.

"Bevil!" Lily shouted. Without thinking, she propelled herself forward several meters and threw herself into Bevil's arms. Bevil smiled and twirled her around once before setting her down. "Hey, Lily!" he laughed.

And Bishop's attention was once again completely captured. He suddenly wore an expression of "Will-somebody-tell-me-what-the-hell-is-going-on-here-and-who-the-hell-is-this-guy?"

Casavir was simply shocked, his lips hanging open slightly, speechless. He looked surprised and rather emotionally injured, and the display had scattered all his good sense to keep his expression stoic.

Khelgar buried his face in his hands in an "Oh, brother, not this again". And Neeshka positively squeed.

Elanee asked the question on everyone's minds: "Who's this?"

"This is Bevil, a good friend of mine," Lily explained. "He's from West Harbor too."

Then it all clicked in Bishop's head.

_That's him_, he thought with a start.

_That's the elf's former flame._


	58. Chapter 58

* 58 * 1/13/13

An hour passed in the already late night. Most of the group had already headed to bed, but Bishop, Casavir, Khelgar, and Neeshka stayed awake to listen to Lily and Bevil as they caught up with each other.

"So now you're head of recruitment, huh?" Lily asked.

"Yeah. While you were gone, these guys," he gestured toward the still-awake teammates, "voted me in, even without knowing what you do about me. Fancy that!" he said happily.

"I'm sure they gathered how trustworthy and dependable you are without ever hearing my recommendation," Lily agreed with her tone almost saccharine. Bishop made a face.

"Aye, I could tell by lookin' at ya. It's good to hear our Leader agrees, though." Khelgar laughed. The dwarf would hardly say it, but he wasn't there to lavish accolades on Bevil; he wanted to get an inkling as to how close Bevil and Lily were. That kind of thing normally didn't interest him, but he felt like he had a personal role in it now given all that he'd seen between certain party members and the elf.

In all the time they stood there, Bishop hadn't once said a word. He was playing purveyor, analyzing what the two said to each other. Casavir started to do the same now and then, but each time stopped himself just afterward, ashamed that he was trying to get into Lily's business so much.

Neeshka changed the subject to something that interested her far more. "So, how long have you two been together?"

All four men's sets of eyes grew wide simultaneously.

"What?" Lily asked with a laugh, but it was too nervous to be genuine. Bishop stared at her.

"Oh, you know. How long have you been friends?" Neeshka elaborated, completely clueless as to the impression she gave off with her initial question.

"Well... Bevil?" Lily offered. She had done a lot of the talking tonight and her voice almost felt hoarse from laughing; she had missed Bevil.

"Ever since we were kids, really. We were even together when West Harbor was attacked," Bevil explained, a slight tinge of sadness in his voice. Casavir flinched at the word "together".

Khelgar sighed. He'd had enough for now. "Well, I'm off to sleep. G'night." He retreated to his room amongst waves from his companions.

"I should be getting to bed too. It's been a...long day," Lily finished nondescriptly. "It's really good to see you again, Bevil! Where will you be if I need you?"

Bishop's ears were fully attuned.

"Yeah, that's fine; I'm getting pretty tired myself. It's been a long journey here. By daylight I'm next to the main gate leading to the fields outside."

"Then I'll probably see you tomorrow on our way to find the Wendersnaven!" Lily replied spiritedly. She gave him a hug, and Bevil closed his eyes and looked very happy to the companions still present. When he opened them again, however, he was looking straight into the bitter face of Bishop...who had a giant "Go to Bed, Now" stapled there. Bevil quickly released Lily and scurried off. Neeshka departed too.

Only the two men were left.

Casavir, looking a little hurt, said good night to his Leader.

For once, Bishop and Casavir had spent an hour in a room together without glaring daggers at each other. This new male addition perhaps made them feel allied in wishing for his removal.

A few moments later, Lily started following the paladin. "Ah-ah!" said Bishop, grabbing her arm.

Or not.

Lily whirled around to face the ranger. "What?" she demanded.

"What are you following the holy pain-in-the-ass for?" Bishop asked, exasperated.

To this, Lily laughed, like he was just joking. "Does it really matter?"

"It..." Bishop saw the honestly inquiring look in Lily's eye. "...It doesn't, really," he lied, trying to keep a clandestine expression on his face behind his scowl.

Lily raised a brow, then wordlessly continued following Casavir, breaking free from the ranger's grip. Bishop seethed as he turned on his heel and stomped back off to the inn.


	59. Chapter 59

* 59 * 1/13/13

The sun elf wizard caught up quickly with the paladin in his room. "Casavir, wait," she requested. The knight took a moment to compose his distraught features, then turned to face her. "Yes, my lady?"

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I am fine, my lady."

"Now _you're_ the one lying," Lily teased, but immediately afterward realized her slip. _Crap... He doesn't know I was lying... _She wanted to hit herself in the face, but that would make her faux pas even more obvious.

But Casavir was preoccupied, struck as if by a bolt of lightning. He _was_ lying. Why was he lying?

"I do not feel well," he corrected himself.

"You were fine earlier. Until Bevil," she mentioned.

Casavir balked at her observation. He stayed silent.

Then: "I am happy you are reunited with a long-lost...friend," he managed.

Lily eyed him. "Why the hesitation before 'friend', Cas? You don't think we're more than that, do you?"

"Are you?" Casavir asked bluntly. He quickly tried to cushion this with, "Forgive me, my lady." But he _was_ curious.

She looked him in the eye. "No. Bevil and I are good friends, but we're not together."

The paladin made a quiet but thorough sigh of relief, and – almost immediately – his countenance returned to normal. "Forgive me for inquiring so bluntly. It was not my place."

"Why did you, then?" Lily ventured lightly. She wasn't upset, but her inquisitiveness shone plainly on her face.

Casavir was again nonplussed. "He...seems like a trustworthy companion, as you said. He would certainly be more worthy of you than..." the paladin trailed off.

"Than Bishop, right?" Lily finished for him, sensing his hesitation. Swallowing, Casavir nodded.

Lily thought on how he probably just wanted the best for her. He always did.

Suddenly, she moved behind him, and the paladin followed her inquiringly with his gaze.

"May I take your pauldrons off?" she innocuously asked.

Casavir didn't know what to think. Instead of assuming anything, he simply said "If you would like." He reasoned that she probably just wanted to see how heavy they were.

Lily undid the straps underneath the his arms that held his shoulder armor on. She carefully removed the weighty shoulderpieces and set them off to the side of the room. To his surprise, however, she immediately spoke again: "And your plate armor?"

The paladin's breath caught in his throat. "If...you would like," he repeated, far more unsure about her motives this time.

She would. She proceeded to undo the binds of his chest armor and set it off to the side as well.

"Sit," she offered, gesturing to a nearby chair.

Casavir sat, still not knowing what to think, or say. Then he felt Lily's hands upon his shoulders. They began kneading him there, focusing on where his shoulders met his neck.

Casavir, upon feeling her touch kneading out his tension, let out an involuntary groan. "My lady?" he asked, trying to cover his wordless outburst. He couldn't even describe it, how it felt to have many kilos' worth of armor off, how it felt to be relieved of such tension, and how it felt to have Lily doing it. Her elegant fingers felt like a light pattering of rain on his shoulders in how they pushed gently into his tense muscles, cleansing them of all their stress. He wished he could feel her touch fully through his shirt.

"Shh," she replied, continuing to massage his shoulders.

Casavir stiffened, concentrating hard on the feelings and sensations she was providing him. Finally, he stopped asking questions and closed his eyes, letting go and surrendering to the attention...


	60. Chapter 60

* 60 * 1/13/13

Bishop was furious.

After Lily finishes glomping one guy, he finds her following another to his bedroom. And who knows what she and the paladin were up to at this very moment.

The ranger slammed his fist on the table, the one at which Lily sat with him just this afternoon. He wanted to throw the chair she sat in out the window, too, but he knew that'd just be asking for trouble, as well as at least a handful of eyewitnesses saying he'd gone crazy. But he hadn't gone crazy. Right?

Bishop buried his head in his hands, fiercely gripping a few tufts of his hair. Just then, he heard a knock at the door.

_What the hell does she want?! _He got up and ripped the door open.

Only to find Elanee standing on the other side.

"Bishop?" Elanee asked, pondering his tangible anger.

"Druid?" he snapped back. He didn't even invite her in. He just stood there with a blank expression, nostrils flaring.

"Um... May I come in?" she inquired politely, trying to remain on his good – or at least his not-bad – side.

"Whatever," he spouted, throwing the handle away from him and going back to sit down.

Elanee let herself in, but didn't take a seat. She didn't want to step on his toes too much.

"I wanted to apologize for...Lily's experience at my hands today," she explained.

"Pfft. I don't give a rat's ass," he replied, waving a hand dismissively. "And why are you apologizing to me?"

"Because you were the one who had to save her."

Bishop scowled. He really wished he hadn't, now. _Maybe Karnwyr enjoyed it._ He smirked with ill humor.

"Are you alright?" Elanee asked. She knew it was a stupid question, but she was starting to get worried. He was much moodier than usual.

"I'll be _fine,_" he snapped, further angered by that stupid look on her face.

The druid quietly surveyed his room over the next few minutes as Bishop tried to rein in his temper.

After all, this was Elanee, not Lily. Or was it even Elanee at all?

"And what about you?" he asked. Elanee's eyes opened wide in surprise at the question. "Are you back to _normal_ now?" he finished, his tone lacking a good deal of the malice it held just minutes before, though she still felt like he was accusing her.

"Yes, I feel normal again. I don't think that lapse will happen ever again."

"Hm," was his response. A question crossed his mind. "What about that stuff you said? Was that part of the demonic possession, or whatever?"

"What 'stuff'?" Elanee asked nervously.

"In your room. About how you'd tell everyone what you saw by the stream if I didn't do what you wanted."

Elanee colored a deep shade of red, but didn't answer.

"Hm," he repeated. "So only the courage to say that to me didn't belong to you. The words did."

Again, Elanee didn't reply.

Bishop understood. He considered this, puzzled. "Why would a treehugger like you have any interest in a survivalist ranger like me?"

The druid gave up trying to get him to drop the subject by staying quiet. The ranger figured her secret was already out.

"Maybe you can teach me something about nature I don't already know. You know your way around the woods quite well; not even I can find my way to the Mere that quickly."

Bishop became lost in thought, wondering what all of this made him feel...

Confusion. Anger.

And Elanee was all too patient to wait for a reply, staring at him while his eyes were averted, taking in his chest breathing in and out, his hard eyes boring a hole into the floor.


	61. Chapter 61 - T

* 61 * 1/13/13

"Casavir?" Lily whispered.

The paladin's eyes shot open. He looked around quickly, surveying the area, but calmed down immediately when he only saw Lily.

And felt her hands still on his shoulders.

"You nodded off," Lily explained, giggling.

"Oh." Casavir was visibly embarrassed. "I apologize... It has been a long day, my lady." And her touch was so soothing, both to his body and to his mind.

"Yes," she agreed, but didn't go on. Lily had no idea how Casavir would react if she told him what happened to her today, but she really wasn't curious enough in that instant to find out.

That feeling hadn't completely left her, though. Not at all, in fact. Karnwyr had stirred something up inside of her that now threatened to spill out, and she felt incredibly...unfinished. And suddenly, she started daydreaming. She thought of how it would be to have Casavir take the wolf's place, to give her body that kind of attention...

Her grip on his shoulders strengthened with these thoughts; she was now grabbing him.

"My lady?"

Coming partially back to her senses, she heard him. "Casavir, would you..." She didn't even know how to ask.

He turned his head to look at her. "What do you wish of me?" His eyes looked earnestly into hers.

_Would he?_


	62. Chapter 62 - M

* 62 * 1/13/13

Bishop stood, wanting to move around in his frustration. He began pacing, still focusing on the floor. Elanee stepped right in front of him.

"What are you thinking about now?"

Bishop turned his head to the side, irritated by her affront. He didn't even know what he was thinking. He was moreso feeling, feeling like he wanted to release some anger. He looked back at Elanee.

And caught her eyes close just as her lips pressed against his.

Bishop's eyes struck wide.

Elanee...was kissing him? Especially now, when his anger was so pungent she could probably taste it on him? He had half a mind to push her away.

But he didn't.

_Maybe this is what I need, _he thought almost spitefully._Maybe this will make up for the chance I didn't take earlier..._ He was still immensely turned on from touching Lily so much, and so possessively, earlier. He had almost given in, but having passionate intercourse with someone he was falling for might push him past the point of no return, a point he stringently restricted himself from approaching. So, he had extracted himself from her and played it off, and now his unfinished business threatened to consume him; his body and mind were filled to the brim with desire.

He returned the pressure on her lips, a mite unsure of what he wanted at first. Elanee was pleasantly surprised.

Then, tasting her lips – when did the group last have cherries, anyway? – Bishop delved deeper, growing hungrier. His tongue parted her lips and darted inside. He put a hand acquisitively on the small of her back and pulled her harder against him. The kiss wasn't romantic; it was hard, hungry.

"Mmph?" Elanee mouthed against his lips. Not expecting an answer, she hesitantly put her hands on his cloak, feeling his chiseled chest beneath it.

Bishop suddenly picked the wood elf up and turned her around, making her lie down on the table. He hovered over her and resumed the kiss, taking her left leg in his right arm and spreading it away from her right so he could settle between them.

Elanee put a hand on his cheek in reflex, but didn't resist. Unsure how to go about doing this, she began by unfastening his belt and letting it fall out of her hands to the floor.

Bishop had been starved for tactile sensation the likes of this for awhile, especially after Lily first began toying with him, making him think he could eventually bed her like any other wench. Instead, she was making him fall for her and taking control of his head, of his sense – something he didn't take to too kindly. Elanee herself wasn't very responsive, but that was fine; he was used to doing most of the work.

The druid grabbed the ranger's neck hurriedly as he began thrusting his abdomen into hers.


	63. Chapter 63

* 63 * 1/13/13, 3/8/13

_If I asked him, would he do that to me?_

"Would you..." she tried again.

The paladin's eyes were unblinking in their concentration. He was willing to answer her any favor for the favor she'd just done him.

Lily sighed, deflated. "Would you...mind if I stay here a few minutes more?" She reluctantly decided to replace the loaded question she actually wanted to ask with something more harmless.

Casavir's expression became exceedingly pleasant. "I would welcome that, my lady."

"You should probably take that off," Lily pointed out with a smirk, gesturing to his leg armor.

"Of course," he said with a grin, removing it unabashedly in front of her while still sitting. He still had clothes on beneath his armor, so he didn't feel that exposed. Admittedly, though, it was a different feeling to not be covered with many kilograms' worth of armor.

He finished, and Lily suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, putting her head above his shoulder.

"My...lady?" the startled paladin questioned, immediately thankful for his lack of armor. He was able to feel her breath on his skin far better now than only minutes before, when his plated armor would have dulled such a fantastic sensation. The soft rush of air relaxed him all over again. He felt beyond content in her gentle embrace, even though he did not understand her reason behind it.

"I just want to hug you." She did. Lily did also wanted to relieve herself, but requesting something like that so suddenly, especially of the patient, controlled Casavir, didn't feel quite right in her stomach.

Casavir didn't say a word. Why would she want to hug him? Did she want affection? Casavir deeply wanted to know if this was the case so he could possibly assuage the feeling, but he didn't ask. He savored the feel of her arms around him, her face so near to his.

When she let go, he felt disappointed, though he didn't let it show. Feeling relaxed, he got to his feet, again rising to his normal height.

The sun elf guffawed and giggled suddenly, putting her hand over her mouth at she looked at him.

"Hm?" Casavir inquired.

"You're so tall!" she said, not really ever having paid much attention before. As he grew out of his chair into his usual height, however, it was hard to miss.

"And you are not," Casavir returned with a smirk. For one of the first times in memory, the paladin felt playful, and he enjoyed teasing Lily. He marveled at the novel inclinations he was feeling, how happy he was just to banter with her.

"No, I'm not," Lily replied in agreement, amused at his abnormal humor. "What's gotten into you?" she asked, highly curious about his overhauled demeanor.

"I feel well, my lady." He even almost smiled. But not quite.

Lily's eyes sparkled. She abruptly rose onto her toes and brought her face close to his. As he gazed at her in wonder, he wasn't fully certain of what she was doing, but she had his wordless permission to do what she pleased to him. He held her up lightly so she wouldn't fall, taking care not to touch her too personally.

Lily brought herself in alignment with him and neared his lips with her own. Casavir's lips parted once more in uncertainty, but a fierce longing overcame him; he felt her breath on his mouth and was staggered, his entire being flooded with romantic desire. She veered off a second later, choosing to touch the tip of her nose to his cheek and dragging it slowly across. Casavir, eager but patient, turned to set his cheek against hers. When Lily neared his ear, she began tracing back the same path she just made, this time with her lips.

Casavir took a deep breath. He wanted to close his eyes and rest against her gentle touch, but didn't want to lose sight of her beautiful face, either. He chose to relish in the feeling of Lily's lips on his skin and let his eyes close for just a few moments. He had longed to feel her lips for quite some time, had tried to imagine what they would feel like, but his mind's conjurations had done her no justice. Her lips were so soft her caresses felt like touches from a butterfly.

_Lily..._ he thought. He didn't dare speak, not even one word, not even to ask why. Words were superfluous in such moments.

Just then, Lily pressed her lips into his cheek in a light kiss, and Casavir began aching. He wanted her lips against his, desired to put all his emotion and fervor into kissing her passionately right then and there. But he remained calm as he felt her movement still. He was happy to stay this way and receive her affection.

Lily brought her lips up to his and Casavir opened his eyes again. As she drew closer, he sucked in a trembling breath, and his gaze narrowed. She paused there, her green irises flitting from his lips to his ice blue eyes and back again in pronounced uncertainty.

"Casavir..." she said, barely above a whisper.

Casavir couldn't speak. _The way she calls my name...is like a soft breath of wind... _He stared at her lips, could not move his gaze away. He wanted to...

He then sensed some reluctance in her. Finally, Lily began moving again, after many drawn out moments of indecision. She seemed to now be only going for nuzzling her nose against his, but the proximity of their lips tantalized his senses. Then, she pulled away, lightly breaking his tentative hold around her waist.

Casavir was still speechless, and stood stiffly.

Lily smiled. "I'm so glad I have someone like you to rely on. You're always right there. Thank you, Casavir."

The paladin was humbled, but could only nod. The plethora of emotions that swirled inside of him threatened to spill out if he opened his mouth.

"Good night, Casavir," is all the elf said now. Lily went to the door and let herself out, closing it quietly behind her.

"Good night, my lady," he replied, finally breaking his startled silence.

Casavir prepared for bed and lied down, staring ahead of him as he replayed the events with Lily over and over again in his head.

He knew he'd have pleasant dreams tonight.


	64. Chapter 64 - M

* 64 * 3/8/13

_Gods..._ Lily thought after reaching the main hall. _I just need some relief..._

She quickly scanned the hall, then realized how silly she was being. Everyone was asleep. Besides, no one would see her if she did it in her room anyway, right?

Lily scrambled to her room and put Ounce right outside her door. She let her skirt slide down her legs. Then she climbed on her bed and started breathing heavily in anticipation.

_I need this so badly..._

She spread her legs and slightly raised herself before bending down a little on her bed, putting all of her weight on her knees. Her hand found its way to the already-present and convenient hole in the still-tattered slacks, where she was even still a little wet.

Lily touched herself slowly at first, then began rubbing her clit. She breathed quickly, breaths that were fast but quiet. She was already more than halfway finished after all the buildup from Karnwyr's tongue earlier. It had felt so good to be licked...

She imagined Bishop having followed through with his teasing earlier. She thought of _his_ tongue delving inside of her, and she immediately flushed again, jumping a few octaves in arousal.

"Hah...hah...!" she breathed, getting closer and closer to climax as she played with her yet-oversensitive clit. She bristled, pleased at its sensitivity, and braced herself for the feeling she knew was coming.

Covering her mouth with her free hand, she tried to stifle her moans as she cried out repeatedly, finishing herself off. Her orgasm was long and drawn out, and the contractions felt beyond words; the closest words she could use to describe it were "absolutely heavenly".

Lily collapsed backward onto her bed in exhaustion. She lay there for a few minutes, letting her mind return to normal.

_That felt __**so**__ good..._ she thought.

A few more minutes passed as she stared at the ceiling, her breath growing regular again.

_I wonder how Bishop is?_ she thought, only half-awake now. _He seemed angry._

Lily decided to get up and go check on him before she finally went to sleep and brought this long, overly eventful day to a close. She made her way outside and to the inn, and as she crept inside, she suddenly had a bad feeling deep in her gut.

Approaching Bishop's door, she knocked.

No answer.

She knocked again.

Still no answer.

"Bishop?" she whispered, thinking he might be asleep. Then she heard him groan.

"Bishop, are you okay? I'm coming in." Lily opened the door –

– and saw Elanee on the table straddling Bishop as he dry-humped her, his body settled right between her legs for the fullest access.

Her mouth fell open. Watching them, her legs suddenly felt like jelly, and her mind entirely woke up.

_They...must not've heard the knocks in their...excitement... _Lily thought weakly.

Elanee noticed Lily, looking at her upside down with her mouth hanging open. Then Bishop looked up, finally realizing someone was there.

"Lily," he said plainly. His mind was blank.

Then it hit him. Really hit him. What this meant hit him straight in the heart, and suddenly, all the anger he felt toward the sun elf melted away.

_**Lily!**_

He snapped out of his horny stupor, straightened, and, for the first time in all the time Lily had known him, looked like an animal caught completely off guard by a predator: utterly lost, utterly unprepared, and utterly defenseless. Trying to come up with a reason as to why he shouldn't be eaten on the spot, but failing.

"I...didn't mean to interrupt," the shocked elf managed lamely. She closed the door calmly, then bolted outside of the inn and into the night, not even watching where she was going.

The ranger's door swung open as soon as she made it outside the tavern. Bishop began following her as soon as his boots touched the grass...but where did she go? He couldn't see anything; it was pitch black outside.

_**Damn**__ it! _he swore. "Karnwyr!"

The wolf came to him, but just then Bishop realized he didn't have anything of Lily's to offer to Karnwyr so the canine could track her smell. Would he recognize it from...earlier?

"Agh!" But tshe humid forest was filled with a plethora of scents – Lily's was bound to be fading into the rest, and fast. Bishop needed to think quickly, a task that proved outrageously difficult with his mind being overloaded with everything that just happened: his disconcert with Bevil, messing around with Elanee out of spite, the implication made by his anger toward Lily disappearing immediately when he saw the hurt and rejected look on her face...

_Lily, I..._

Bishop felt completely helpless in finding her now. Several minutes had passed, and he had missed his opportunity. He swore again.

He cursed her. _Damn it, you stupid elf; you don't even know how to navigate in the dark..._

He hoped he was wrong. He hoped that, like that day they went out into the woods together, Lily had some previous knack for being outdoors that she hadn't fully shown him. Otherwise, it might not be her he'd find in the morning, but the lifeless shell of the elf he loved.


	65. Chapter 65

* 65 * 1/13/13

Lily was running. She didn't know where she was going, couldn't even see more than a few meters in front of her, but she kept running. She briefly thought of going to where she and Bishop had sat down to eat rabbit, but then realized that would be the first place he'd look for her.

She managed to run fairly quickly for a good half hour or so before her legs cried for a rest. She figured she was far enough away by now that perhaps even Bishop would be unsure of how to find her.

As if to punish her for taking a break, the clouds suddenly began raining down torrents of water. Lily was able to protect herself from some of it by hiding under the trees, but after only a few seconds, she felt chilled to the bone. Knowing it would take all her energy just to get back, the elf started searching around her for some kind of cave, or at least more thorough cover: enough rain was hitting her chilled skin that she began sneezing.

After searching for a mere ten minutes, Lily couldn't take it anymore. She sat down on the wet forest floor and began crying, overwhelmed by fear and confusion. She wished Casavir were here to protect her. She wished Grobnar were here to comfort her.

Lily's head shot up. _Grobnar!_

She pulled out her communication mirror from the tattered slacks underneath her robe. Grobnar had given it to her as a present in the Keep basement after she witnessed Casavir's kiss with Blooden. It enabled her to call on the gnome in case there came a time she ever felt sad or in need of someone.

And now was that time. Slowly gathering another ounce of strength, she cast a simple spell on the mirror, turning it on. Immediately she was shown the basement of the Keep, and...and Ounce! Ounce was sleeping on the table with the mirror!

"Hi, Ounce!" Lily couldn't help but muster a torn smile. She cried harder, was reminded of the warm, dry walls of the Keep and the soft fur of her cat.

Ounce opened an eye. Hearing Lily, he lifted himself to his feet and pawed at the mirror curiously. He meowed. Then he meowed again. This continued until Lily heard Grobnar's yawn.

"What is it, kitty?" Grobnar looked where Ounce was pawing. "The mirror!" He scrambled over to the mirror and faced it. Seeing the state of the weather outside – or, rather, not being able to see hardly anything at all, but hearing it – he shouted, "Lily! Where are you?"

Lily didn't even know how to start. "Grobnar, I'm in the woods and..." She sniffed. "And I don't know where I am and I'm tired and it's really cold here..." The gnome couldn't see it, but Lily's sobs punctuating her words made it obvious that she was bawling.

Grobnar took in a breath as he came to understand the severity of the situation. "Alright, um... Aha!" He went off-screen for just a moment or two before returning with a crumbled up paper. It was the map the Sages of Yes and No had given them to find the Wendersnaven. "Okay, can you see this, Lily?" He held the map up close to the mirror so she could read the writing and make out the drawings scribbled on it. Luckily for her, there was sufficient light on the other side, unlike her own.

"Yes, Grobnar, I can see it," she affirmed, regaining a little hope.

"Good, good. Okay, can you give me any clues at all about where you might be?"

"Um..." She thought for a second. "I ran away from the tavern and I think I kind of turned right after sneaking past the guards." She sniffed. "But, Grobnar, I've probably turned so many times since then and I don't know where I could be... It's been dark out this whole time."

"Alright. Well... How long did you run?"

"I'm not sure." Another sniff. "I think maybe...half an hour or so? An hour?"

"Good, that's not too long. You can't have gotten very far. If you accidentally turned around at one point then you might actually be closer than that." Grobnar looked over the map for a moment, trying to pinpoint something. He then held it up to the mirror again, trying to position it correctly in front of the small circle. "Can you see where I'm pointing, Lily?"

"Yes," she nodded, her hope building.

"That's where the Keep is. If you ran a bit right from the main gate, you'd end up somewhere over here," he gestured, moving the map along with his finger so she could see. "This map is kind of large so you're probably near this area." He pointed to a spot that didn't seem very far from the Keep at all, but when she compared that spot with the location of the Sea of Swords, she quickly changed her mind.

"Okay, that makes me feel a little better," she acknowledged, albeit still feeling daunted.

"But that's not all!" He took the map away from her view for another moment, looked at it, then put it back. "Look here," he said, pointing, "If you're around where I think you are, there are mountains right next to you. You might be able to find some cover."

Lily sniffled, her spirits sinking again. "But that's...those might take another half hour to find in the dark. I might even move away from them without knowing it."

Grobnar heard the hopelessness in her voice and his heart sank. For a second time since she'd known him, he took on a gentle but serious tone. "I'll be right with you as you move, Lily. This mirror won't shut off until you tell it to."

Lily looked into his kind eyes for awhile. He was being patient, but was obviously worried about her staying in the pouring rain in the dark of night. Emboldened by his worry, Lily got to her feet and started marching instinctively to her right. Hopefully she would be able to close the loop of her path at Crossroad Keep, or at least a cave.

As the minutes wore on, Lily's mind began faltering once more the more her legs whined. She hadn't eaten since morning, and her energy was running low fast. She had only an hour ago been mentally reawakened, but her supply of sleep was still low. Each droplet of the downpour now felt like a one-tonne weight.

"Keep going," Grobnar encouraged in a whisper, Ounce right beside him on the table. He noted that his encouragement began falling on deaf ears, however.

Worried, the gnome resolved to try and think of a different plan to keep her moving, or she might just stop.

The harsh, cold, unforgiving rain continued to pour.


	66. Chapter 66

* 66 * 1/13/13

Bishop was back in his room and pacing rapidly, trying to rack his brain for any ideas on how to find Lily. But still, he came up with nothing.

"I'm worried, too, you know; you're not alone," Elanee said as she approached him, trying to comfort him by putting her hands on his shoulders. Her face was stricken with its own worry.

He recoiled at her touch. "Don't touch me, woman! I'm trying to think, damn it!"

The druid blinked and backed off. "You know, we might be able to find her together. We're both at home in the forest."

"But she's not, and anything we predict that a normal person would do is _useless_ with her." For the first time, he found himself hating Lily's unpredictability.

Just then, as he came upon the window, he caught the sight of the pouring rain outside. He hadn't heard it before because of the inn's thick walls. "For fuck's sake!" he shouted at the unfeeling stone walls.

Catching sight of the downpour was the last straw. Taking only a moment to think, and paying no mind to Elanee's presence, Bishop put on a robe that would act as a raincoat, then, making sure his quiver was filled with arrows, dashed outside to find the lost Lily.


	67. Chapter 67

* 67 * 1/13/13

"What happened, Lily?" asked Grobnar.

Lily stopped in her tracks for a moment. She had never been asked that before. She had heard that specific question, but she had never been asked so bluntly by one of her companions about what had been going on with her, personally. She didn't want to get anyone involved who didn't want to be, so she never told anyone. The party members in turn kept to themselves and tried not to get into her business, but this also made her feel somewhat alone. The question struck something inside of her, and she decided to keep moving.

"I saw Bishop with Elanee," she admitted.

Grobnar didn't ask about the details of what they were doing, but he didn't have to.

"And it wouldn't normally bother me so much," she justified, "if he had been with me like that, too. But he's had me lying right in front of him on two separate occasions and he never does anything like what I saw him do with her."

Lily wiped her damp nose on the sleeve of her robe. "I once thought he was trying to respect what he thought I wanted, but he even drugged me to get his way once." Grobnar's eyes grew wide. "When he had his chance, he relinquished it. I've been in that same position beneath him before, and he just left."

"I don't even know what I did tonight to make him storm off. He could've just been moody, but he could've been upset because of Bevil. But why would he be? I don't even think he cares." Sniffle. "He was listening when we explained that we're childhood friends anyway. Of course I have a strong reaction to seeing Bevil – I hadn't seen him since West Harbor was destroyed," she justified.

"Casavir got the same wrong idea too. I was able to set his thoughts straight, but when I went to tell Bishop the same thing in case that was what was plaguing him, I...saw them."

"And then I ran. I just had to get away and think to myself, by myself. I didn't think it would start pouring just as I got too far away from the Keep to return. But underneath this robe I have my slacks on, and I put the communication mirror inside the pocket this morning when I got dressed like I've always done ever since you gave it to me."

Lily had at some point stopped walking, but she wasn't entirely sure when. Then, when she lifted her head, she felt no raindrops on her upturned face.

_A cave! I found one!_

She suddenly looked at the mirror with glee. "Grobnar, I'm in a cave!" she said asininely.

Grobnar smiled. "You are!" he agreed with just as much excitement.

Lily smiled for what felt like the first time in aeons. "I'm sorry I got so in-depth, Grobnar. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything."

"Details don't make me uncomfortable, Lily, don't you worry about that. I'm happy you opened up like that. I won't tell anyone anything if you don't want me to."

Lily looked at him through the mirror. "Really? Not even that I ran myself into a tizzy and got completely lost?" It was easy to laugh about now that she was out of the rain.

"Not even that you're entirely soaked through and haven't even got the mind to get yourself covered in something yet!" he teased lightly.

"Oh," Lily responded lamely. "Um, about that... What can I use to – Ohhh." She shared Grobnar's grin when it hit her. She was wearing her tattered-but-still-somewhat-intact shirt and slacks, and they had been kept dry through the thickness of the robe. "I didn't even think of that. But you did. I'm surprised."

"I am too!" Grobnar replied cheerily, taking no offense whatsoever. Her improving mood had rubbed off on him and he was back to his zany self again.

As Lily went deeper into the cave, the climate became more stable and less affected by sudden changes in the temperature outside. She went off-screen to undress – though it was unnecessary given the poor lighting – removing and wringing out the sopping wet robe and doing the same to her shirt and slacks before putting them back on. She banged the robe hard against some rocks before lying down and wrapping it around her feet to keep them at least as warm as the rest of her body, which was an improvement.

"Please don't tell anyone about this, Grobnar. No one will be able to fetch me before it stops raining anyway, and I have a feeling it'll go on for awhile."

"I won't, Lily," he promised. Something about the way he said it made Lily feel like she could really trust him.

"Would you like to stay on the mirror?"

"Yes," she said with a final sniffle, her crying at last having ceased.

When all was quiet except for the rain outside, Lily spoke: "Thanks for listening to me, Grobnar."

"I'm glad the mirror came in handy!"

"It really did... I don't know what would've become of me by now if I hadn't called on you."

Grobnar had a big, happy smile on his face. "You just focus on getting some sleep now."

Lily nodded appreciatively, then closed her eyes.

And finally, after this very long, ridiculously over-eventful day, Lily became lost in the abyss of her own mind, with Grobnar and Ounce watching over her.


	68. Chapter 68

* 68 * 1/14/13

Bishop didn't know whether he should run at the top of his speed or take his time, to search west or to veer east. He didn't know if she would seek shelter or be mad enough to keep running with no regard to her own safety. The ranger felt like he knew nothing at all about tracking – something he'd done for a very long time – when it came to this elf.

Bishop figured her to be – unfortunately – the run-'til-I-pass-out type. More than anything else had in the past year, this got him panicked.

As usual, his mind resorted to swearing at and calling Lily names in order to offset some of the tension. But Bishop quickly shut himself up, knowing his hostile words weren't going to get him anywhere near her.

"This damned **rain**!" he shouted, wanting to shoot something through the heart with one of his arrows. The harsh rain not only made it nearly impossible to track Lily, but it also made her chances of survival if she stayed outside longer than a few hours grow thin.

Bishop wondered what kind of cover she had, if any. He wondered how much she'd eaten, if she'd slept enough the day before to give her enough energy to go for awhile tonight.

Then he remembered how the day had gone, how the events that had transpired today would take all the energy out of anyone.

He began thinking of a plethora of things he'd teach her the next time they went out in the woods together before realizing that that would probably never happen again.

Not knowing what else to do, he swore once more into the cold, deaf night.


	69. Chapter 69

* 69 * 1/14/13

"Lily?" came a voice.

Lily's mouth twitched. _Huh? s_he thought sleepily.

"Lily," it called again.

The elf opened her eyes and immediately her face broke out into a warm, welcoming grin. "Grobnar!" She didn't just see him on the mirror, either; he was here, in the flesh! Or rock, as it were.

"Good morning," the gnome replied cheerily.

"Why are you here? Where are the others?" asked Lily. In her distrustful mood lingering from yesterday, she assumed Grobnar had forgotten his promise and brought someone here to help.

"Oh, there are no others, Lily. I said I wouldn't tell anyone," he reminded her.

Lily smiled. So he did remember.

"I came to wake you up as soon as the sun rose. I could have yelled at you through the mirror, but that certainly sounds rude, now doesn't it? It did to me. Besides, you're not very far away from the Keep after all! It took me only about half an hour to get here. Whee." The lovable airhead spun randomly to express his excitement, making Lily giggle.

"Let's get into some light," he suggested, stopping mid-twirl. Lily nodded. She closed the communication mirror and removed the robe from around her boots. Getting to her feet, she began walking toward the entrance of the cave – until she took one step and almost collapsed.

Hearing the scattering of rocks behind him, Grobnar looked back. "Lily?" he asked, concerned. "Did you hurt your leg?"

"I...I feel weird all over. My legs, my arms, my chest..."

"Can you walk?" he asked, concerned. He thought that maybe she had caught something in the pouring rain.

"If I try to, yes. But it doesn't feel very good."

Grobnar backtracked and grabbed hold of her. "Support yourself on me," he offered.

Lily obeyed, putting a decent bit of her weight onto him. Being a rock gnome, Grobnar was much sturdier than Lily would've thought from his size. She began stepping toward the entrance again – and noticed that she was still wearing the torn clothes from the day before.

_At least he can't see the ripped crotch when I'm standing,_ Lily thought.

As they emerged into the sun, Lily felt relieved. After last night, she was beginning to think she'd never see the sun again.

Grobnar set her off to the edge of the cave's entrance and looked at her.

"Oh, goodness!" he exclaimed suddenly.

"What? What is it?"

"You look terrible, Lily!" Grobnar paused. "I mean, you don't look terrible, you're still you, but I think... Er, there's something just not right with the color of your skin!"

Lily looked down at her arms. He was right. Her whole complexion seemed to be pale as a ghost. Come to think of it, she didn't feel too well, either.

After looking her over for a few moments, Grobnar concluded, "Lily, I think you're sick."

The sun elf coughed up a bit in response.

"Very sick," he amended.

"Oh, no," she replied, genuinely upset. They were supposed to look for the Wendersnaven today, and Lily felt like crap. "Grobnar, we have to find the Wendersnaven."

"Don't worry about that, Lily," he said, but there was a pleased, appreciative glint in his eye. "As it were, though, we do happen to be right near where the Sages of Yes and No – I mean Enleva and Noduab, of course – said the Wendersnaven would be. The clearing is a few minutes east of here, according to the map," he explained, holding the map upside down.

Flipping the map for him, Lily said, "That would be west, Grobnar."

"Oh, right, right."

"No, left. Jeez," she laughed. "How did you even find your way here?"

"I don't know, to be honest!"

Lily sat resting for a minute.

"Let's go. To the clearing."

"But don't you feel terrible?"

"I do, but we had plans for today," she said firmly. After how sweet Grobnar had been to her the night before, she wanted to pay him back in any way she could.

"Well, alright," he replied, simultaneously worried and excited. He supported her walking once more as they made their way west, and this time, Lily knew exactly where she was in relation to the Keep. This fact alone made her feel inspirited.

After a little while, the two came to the clearing marked on the map. It was a dead end.

Grobnar checked the map. "This is it, according to the map. It looks a little empty, though."

"Look over there!" Lily exclaimed, pointing to a pile of bones further into the center of the clearing. They approached slowly, unsure if it was a trap. When they were close enough, Grobnar set Lily down and began searching the bones. The elf did the same, feeling along the insides of the corpse's few garments that hadn't disintegrated or been eaten.

"Here, I found something."

Grobnar turned his gaze in her direction. "A note! What does it say?" Lily handed it to him.

"Ah! These are some scribbles from the Relentless Poet! Word is he disappeared awhile ago without saying anything to anyone. He was always rather...well, relentless in his journeys," Grobnar explained. "A pity it came to this." The gnome put the note in his backpack and started walking toward Lily to carry her again, but stopped short.

"Ow!" he cried.

"What happened?"

"I stubbed my toe on something..." Then, absolute delight filled his features. "Look at this!" he said, holding up...something. Lily couldn't see anything.

"That's...wonderful..." After he didn't explain, she asked, "What is it, Grobnar?"

"It's an invisible instrument! A wonder, invisible instrument! Can you hear that?" Grobnar began dancing and whistling, and Lily couldn't help but snicker.

"Um?" she questioned, watching his performance.

"Why didn't I think of it before? An invisible instrument...of course! This must be from the Wendersnaven!"

"Is it?" Lily asked, her interest piqued. She raised a knee so she wasn't sitting uselessly on the ground anymore.

"There's no way to be sure, but perhaps this is what the sages wanted us to find!" He played the instrument again, and this time Lily noticed a difference: Grobnar the Bard was playing even better than he usually did, and the sound was clearly not just him this time.

"Ohhhh," Lily said in disbelief. So the thing _did_ exist. The fact that she couldn't see it was admittedly pretty confusing, but it obviously enhanced Grobnar's abilities somehow.

"Such music!" he exclaimed excitedly. Finally, he replaced his current weapon with the Wenderkazoo and turned to Lily again.

"I'm sorry we didn't find the real thing. But this gift is just swell!" he said with a grin. "Thank you, Wendersnaven!" he called out to nothing in particular. Well, at least nothing visible.

"I still think they're real," Lily said, at last getting to her feet. "Perhaps we can't see them unless they want to be seen."

Grobnar looked like he was about to cry. "You really think so, Lily? Really?"

"Really."

Grobnar hugged her, and Lily hugged back. "Thank you for coming here despite feeling horrible, Lily. I'm really happy."

"Of course," she started to say, but was interrupted by a loud rustling in the bushes behind them. Before Grobnar could even fully disentangle himself from Lily, a handful of orcs rushed their way. After an initial moment of surprise, Grobnar put his new weapon to good use, performing Fascinate to immobilize a few of the orcs, and casting Cloud Mind on one of those who escaped the former.

Lily launched a fireball from her unstable position, losing her balance a little and stumbling backward from the recoil. She caught herself after a moment and used Isaac's Lesser Missile Storm on the now-flaming orcs, felling several of them.

"Good shot, Lily!" Grobnar called, looking her way. In his distraction, the gnome didn't see the orc behind him lift his mighty ax above the his head.

"Grobnar!" Lily screeched. Unable to throw another fireball without hitting Grobnar, and fresh out of energy for a fully ranged fire arrow, Lily compromised and cast Fire Arrow while running toward the orc. She thrust her arms forward at the last moment and made contact with the brute, toppling him over in a fit of flames. He was dead. Very dead. And burning.

She began panting and whirled around, pseudo-ready for any other orc coming her way.

"Lily..." Grobnar started, eyes wide. "Thank you. I really should have been more careful."

Grobnar hadn't noticed, but the fire arrow had torn up her clothes worse than they already had been and burnt her hands, sapping any remaining energy from her.

"No," she said weakly, falling to one knee. "I should have." She looked into his face. "Thank you for last night." There was a moment of silence. In it, Lily winced as her hand made contact with the grass.

Then: "Grobnar," Lily called, her voice strangled. Her eyes were back on the ground.

"Yes, Lily? I'm right here," he tried to comfort her in her pain.

"When did...the rain stop?"

"It kept going long after you fell asleep. It finally gave out a little before I came to get you."

"I see... It hasn't stopped, for me." Lily closed her eyes, mock chuckling at herself. Her current, hazy state of mind and her brain's decision to make the painful memory resurface every few minutes were taking a toll on her, not to mention her physical woes. A lock of her hair fell down over her shoulder as she struggled to keep her position constant.

Grobnar looked at her sadly.

"But it's okay to tell the others now. Where I am, I mean." Her thoughts were growing more and more muddled.

The gnome waited for her to continue.

Instead: "Hug me," Lily pleaded suddenly.

Grobnar quickly granted her wish, coming to cradle her in her kneeling position. All the color drained from Lily's face as she began swaying unsteadily against him.

"I don't feel...well..."

She collapsed on the spot.


	70. Chapter 70

* 70 * 1/14/13

"Bevil! Come on! That's not fair!" Lily called, holding up her hand fruitlessly to block the torrent of water headed her way. A second later, drenched, she shouted, "You can't use a bucket!"

Bevil snickered. Two hands' worth of boys joined him in his laughter. "Hahaha! Lily got smoked!"

But Lily was smug. "You have to cheat to win, you know that? That means your splashing skills suck! Watch this!" She spun around in the lake, keeping her arm halfway underwater. Building up momentum, she then turned toward Bevil and heaved all of her water bounty at him.

And suddenly, Bevil was drowning.

_Hahaha._ The laughing echoed in her head.

"Bevil? I didn't mean to... Bevil?! Come on, that's not funny! _BEVIL!_"

Drowning, drowning.

_Hahahahaha._

Drowning, drowning, drowning...

_Aahahahahahaha..._

...


	71. Chapter 71

* 71 * 1/14/13

Darkness.

_I...I couldn't save him..._

"_BEVIL!_" Lily screamed.

She woke up to a cold room. A castle room. Right? No. It wasn't cold. Or was it?

A blanket. She had a blanket on. Room cold, blanket not. Room was not warm, the blanket was.

_Where am I?_

The Keep. The Keep where? The Keep basement? Where was this room? Was this even a room?

It was more like a sauna. _It's so hot in here,_ Lily thought. So hot that she needed more blankets. _Need to put another blanket on. Don't want to catch a cold. Don't want to catch a..._

A knock at the door. A person came in. Who were they? Lily looked, but saw nothing. She heard nothing.

Then a voice: "Are you okay, Lily?"

_Fine. Perfect and fine. Fine line. Fine line between perfect and fine..._

She looked around the room and panicked. "Where's my bow?"

"Your bow?"

"I'm gonna go on an adventure. I need a bow."

"But why would you go on an adventure now, Lily?"

"Yes. An adventure. I need my bow."

Another knock. Another person. Who was there? Did they have a bow?

"How is she?"Frantic.

_That voice._

"Fine. Fine line between perfect and fine."

"She's having an episode."

"Fine line, swine. There's a fine line between perfect and...just let me get my bow."

"Chills and mental confusion is what I would call it."

"Don't call me that; only he can call me that. Called me 'ladyship' on an adventure."

"Adventure? She seems to be on an adventure. Was she ever on an adventure?"

"Adventure! Yes! I have to get up, have to get dressed, have to get my bow."

"Oh, I don't know." A pause. "A few days ago she went out into the woods with Bishop. That's the only adventure I know of. In the ones with us, she never uses a bow. But I have one."

"Have a bow take the bow need the bow give the bow."

Suddenly, she felt an object in her hands.

"Got my bow... But I don't want an adventure anymore." She resorted to simply stroking it gently.

"This is turning into complete disorientation. What happened out there?"

"Rain...lots of it. And from what I'd guess, a strong breeze, too." The voice sighed. The wonderful voice sighed.

"You see this here?" the other voice said. Lily felt a pressure on her arm. "The coloration is obviously not normal. I believe this indicates something called pneumonia. Her mental disorientation isn't a symptom; that seems to be something separate."

_Disorientation..._ The word sounded funny in her mind. What did disorientation mean again?

Lily shook her head. _Snap out of it!_

"It'll go away...right?"

"We'll have to give it time, but there's no reason to believe it wouldn't."

"That's great!"

Another knock, another voice.

"She has awoken!" it said with tremendous relief. Relieved voice in the room with frantic voice and calm voice.

"Give her a little time; she'll be back to normal then."

"Thank you for your help, doctor."

Absence of calm voice. No calmness. Panic.

"Has she spoken?" Worry. Dreadful worry.

"A little, but she's not really being herself right now. I wouldn't start a conversation with her, unless you just pretend you're talking to me. Then you won't be disappointed!"

Another voice, unrelated to the others. The door must've been left open.

"The lass's awake!" Deep, strong voice.

"Yes. Well, kind of. She makes as much sense as I do," the familiar voice repeated.

Leader voice. Updated everyone who came in. Caring voice. The beautiful music in her ears could only be from one person. They'd been here for awhile.

"Grobnar?" Lily ventured. Her mind's eyes began clearing out the noise. She could see again.

"Lily!" the small owner of the voice exclaimed, throwing his arms around her shoulders. "How do you feel?"

"I..." She felt her mind slipping again for a brief moment, then caught sight of Casavir, as well as the dreadfully concerned expression shaping the hard lines of the paladin's face. His expression told her to hold on, to grasp hold of her sanity. "I feel...okay," was all she could answer for now. She didn't really know how she felt. She didn't really feel anything, except hot and cold at the same time. Her temperature was pulling her in several different directions.

Regaining some of herself, Lily hugged Grobnar back, setting the bow off to the side of her bed. She held onto the little gnome like he was a lifesaver, and he was. If a bout of torrential rain had gotten her mind and body this unsettled, she didn't even want to think about what staying outside of the cover he suggested and getting struck by lightning would've done.

Thinking about it, Lily's hand suddenly shot up to her newly-throbbing forehead. She was starting to get some feeling back. But with this amount of pain, she almost preferred to be numb.

"How did I...get back here?"

"I carried you," the rock gnome said simply.

"How on earth?" The elf asked incredulously. "No, don't tell me. I don't think I could take more fantasy right now." Lily could do nothing but smile and hug him tighter. As she did so, she got a good look at the skin on her arms. It had become a little...blue?

"Yes, Grobnar was an irreplaceable help in returning you to safety," Casavir chimed in fervently, his own complexion having turned completely pale with worry.

Grobnar let go of Lily reluctantly, letting her lie back down. She did, and felt a little better afterward. Casavir then immediately pulled up a chair to her right of the bed; he was obviously planning on staying with her awhile. Touched by this, Lily reached over and cupped his hand in both of hers. At her touch, Casavir gasped. Not for the contact this time, but for the fact that Lily's hands were covered in burns.

"What happened to your hands?" he asked, considerable worry in his deep voice.

"I burned them," she said nonchalantly, lifting one of them into the air and looking at it with a blank stare. Casavir's lips formed a strict line at her naive and disinterested reply.

Grobnar, looking surprised, rushed over to look at it. "Lily, the fire arrow burned you! I didn't see your hands before." The gnome now looked sad, turning his gaze shamefully to the ground. "You saved me."

"It's okay, Grobnar." She wanted to sound convincing because she really wasn't upset, but her voice came out devoid of emotion.

"That was admirable of you, my lady," Casavir commented, looking all around her sickened complexion with furrowed brows. "Perhaps we should allow you more time to rest."

"After I eat. I don't really feel hungry, but I probably should eat."

Grobnar rushed off to the kitchen to tell the cooks to prepare something right away.


	72. Chapter 72 - T

* 72 * 1/19/13

Bishop had stayed out all night looking for Lily. No matter where he went, he always felt cities behind; it seemed like he'd never find her. He hadn't been able to cover the entire perimeter around the castle because of the rain and low visibility, but where he did search, he came up with nothing by morning. Dispirited, he returned to the Keep, hoping against hope that she'd found someplace to wait out the storm.

And then he heard about Lily. How she was back, but not at all well. How her skin was blue from pneumonia, her mind not quite clear. But no one knew she had gone into such dangerous weather because of what she had seen. How it was his fault. Partially, at least.

He hadn't gone to see her.

Bishop cursed her stupidity, refusing to take all of the blame. Angry for having wasted his night searching for her, and tired from the lot of it all, he was relieving his stress by shooting arrows into training dummies in front of the Keep.

Seeing him there, a passing Elanee considered for a brief moment whether she should approach. She did, and immediately the ranger's bow was trained on her chest.

"What do you want?" he demanded, his expression hostile.

"I want to see how you are. You haven't slept all night. How are you feeling?"

"That's probably a good reason to stay the fuck away from me." He ignored her question and retrained his aim on her head. "But I guess that would require brains to figure out."

"And maybe it hasn't dawned on you, but it would be a really stupid idea not to go see Lily when she's feeling like this. For your own sake."

At her sudden harsh tone, Bishop faltered, considering her words. "I don't think I'm someone she wants to see." He lowered his bow and said no more, but kept the hostility stark on his face.

"She probably thinks you're upset with her. Everyone else has gone to see her."

"I **am** upset with her. What kind of moron runs out into the night without proper cover or protection?" Just thinking about it made his blood boil.

"Someone who maybe wasn't thinking clearly at the time? Letting her keep thinking you're mad at her won't do you or her any good." Her expression grew confrontational, but it dropped after a few moments. "You know, Bishop, you're really dense. But have it your way." She started to leave.

"Why are you trying to help, druid? Don't you have a 'thing' for me?"

Elanee almost spat, turning back around to face him with her arms locked at her sides, her fists clenched. "Don't confuse me with the druid you met yesterday!"

"Does that mean you don't actually have the hots for someone who's clearly not your type, or that you're not that much of a bitch? Because one of those is definitely wrong."

Elanee huffed, but shook her head and walked away.

Bishop resumed his target practice.


	73. Chapter 73

* 73 * 1/19/13

That night, the Keep was quiet. Much quieter than usual, even. In the main hall, you could hear a pin drop.

But you couldn't hear Bishop. He made his way over to the medical room Lily was currently housed in, slipping inside and closing the door. But still, he didn't look at her.

"Hey," he said after a few moments.

No response. She was asleep.

Bishop came closer and sighed impatiently. He sat on the side edge of the bed, facing away from her.

"You were really stupid yesterday."

Despite the silence, Bishop could see Lily scowling at him in his head.

Slowly and curiously, Bishop looked at her. He was dismayed to see her skin was lightly tinted blue, though that particular color seemed to be going away. Her face was expressionless. He'd call it peaceful, but it really wasn't; just blank.

He placed his hand on her arm. Her skin was cold to the touch. He brought his hand very slowly upward against her skin a few centimeters, then retracted it, feeling conflicted. For the next few minutes, he occasionally looked into her face and equally occasionally looked at the ground.

Finally, he reached behind him and took an arrow out of his quiver, its greenish feathery outline barely visible in the dim light of the room. He set it against a corner and left.

She'd know he'd been here.


	74. Chapter 74

* 74 * 2/21/13

"Oh, Bevil. It's so horrible."

"What is?"

"This feeling. It's like I just want to go home."

"Lily..."

"I know, home isn't there anymore. But I'm not sure what else I can feel right now."

"Did he really mean that much to you?"

"No! ...He didn't. He gave me attention, and I liked it. And I don't like someone else getting more than me."

"Do you really think someone that crude could care for you well enough anyway?"

"Stop it! I just said I don't think much of him."

"I see. Well, anyway, do you?"

"...No. He couldn't. I don't think he has the capacity in his heart to open up to anyone."

"And the other?"

"Definitely. More than that. He could easily espouse the love of five other men, too."

"And what do you think of him?"

A pause. "He's marvelous, and very selfless."

"...And me?"

Another pause, longer this time. Then, a smile.

"Why, you're Bevil. You're amazing. And you're one of my greatest friends."

A hug. And a whisper.

"Thank you, Bevil."


	75. Chapter 75

* 75 * 2/21/13, 3/5/13

Lily woke up. She briefly shook her head, her golden-brown locks swiping her cheeks gently. The room was empty. Despite that, Lily didn't feel alone.

"How do you do that, Bevil?" she mused, smiling to herself.

Cautiously, she drew her knees up near her chest and slowly placed them to her right over the edge of the bed. As she moved her head, she saw a flash of green and turned to focus on it.

One of Bishop's arrows.

Lily paused. _How does that make me feel?_ she wondered.

Bewildered. Annoyed. Blasé.

_It was nice of him_, Lily allowed. She tenderly continued getting to her feet, wondering how unpleasant it would feel to walk again after having been bedridden. Her left foot hit the ground.

Not very, actually.

Relieved, she placed her other foot on the ground and began changing into the set of clothing left for her in a nearby wardrobe, a long-sleeved black shirt over a strikingly red skirt in the style she liked to wear when not going out to battle. She left her tattered clothing over the back of a chair and took hold of the arrow, fastening it in the bag left next to the wardrobe for possible later use.

She didn't remember putting her hair in a bun, but there it was. Not feeling very businesslike this morning, she then reached a hand up to her messy bun and let her hair fall free before walking out of the room.

She was immediately met by five pairs of eyes: Grobnar's, Neeshka's, Bevil's, Casavir's, and Bishop's.

Lily ignored the last pair for now, but gladly welcomed the others. First she grabbed Grobnar and pulled him into a hug. "My little lifesaver," she cooed happily.

Bevil's face lit up. "Lily! I was just chatting to Casavir. I didn't think I'd actually see you wake up today! Welcome back to the world of the conscious!"

Still hugging a thrilled Grobnar, Lily giggled. "Thanks, Bevil. You've helped me recover more than you even know." Perhaps she'd tell him about her dream later. She finally let go of Grobnar and moved to Bevil, throwing her arms around him once more. "You were talkin' to Casavir, huh?" That made her a bit surprised.

"Yeah. To be honest, I didn't initially think we'd get along so well, but I'm happy to be wrong!"

"That's great!" Lily oozed. She dropped her hold of Bevil and looked over to the paladin of whom they spoke. The sun elf was amazed to see that he wasn't in his plate armor for once. He must have been committed not to go anywhere outside of the Keep until Lily had awoken.

Lily approached him and Casavir greeted her with a "My lady" and a warm smile. Lily almost gawked at how the paladin looked with such a genuinely relieved expression. His smile was contagious and she grinned as she admired him. She opened her arms in a gesture and, to her surprise, Casavir pulled her close to him unabashedly, immensely relieved to see her well enough to speak, let alone to stand.

"I am happy to see you awake once more," he whispered to echo his fast thoughts, elated at her steady recovery. But he let go of her unnaturally quickly, feeling he was overstepping her personal boundaries.

But Lily had just barely tasted the paladin's warm, hesitant affection, and now she wanted more. She disregarded his formality and hugged him back, deriving soulful gratification from being so close to him. Casavir more than welcomed this, holding onto her for several more precious seconds, even despite the number of eyes focused upon them. He took in the scent of her hair and sighed quietly but deeply, feeling truly at peace.

Finally, the elf disentangled herself from her very comfortable spot there, and the paladin's eyes shone with pleasure, both in her warm affection and in her somewhat-regained health.

"Oooh, it's gettin' hot in here!" a high voice finally chimed in.

Lily laughed and moved to the offending voice. "It's good to see you too, Neeshka."

"Oh, come 'ere," the tiefling demanded, pulling Lily almost off of her feet into a hug. "We missed ya."

Lily nodded. "I don't feel entirely like myself yet, but I'm getting there," she reassured the thief. After pulling back from Neeshka, she looked at an intensely brooding Bishop, which surprised the ranger. He didn't think she'd even acknowledge him, especially after her stint with the paladin just now. She only nodded and said, "I'm alive and well."

Baffled, Bishop nodded back. He was a little unsettled by the sudden, blank look in her gaze at him. There was almost no emotion in it, good or bad. He almost preferred she come over and whack him upside the head to her being so...robotic.

The others noticed her curt treatment of Bishop and looked confusedly at him. All except Grobnar.

Bishop scowled and walked away. It'd be better for his sanity for him to return to the tavern than stay here with these rubbernecking fools.

Grobnar wasn't certain how to feel about the hostility between the two now, or rather, the seeming hostility Bishop felt toward Lily. Lily, on the other hand, seemed to be acting rather indifferently, especially odd given the emotional outburst she'd quite recently had in front of the gnome. The unsure air between them definitely ran deeper now than it ever had before, and he was worried that it might interfere with the party's future missions.

Oh well. He was just glad their Leader was safe again. He couldn't even begin to think what it would feel like losing Shandra _and _Lily.

"My lady, may I have a word?" Casavir asked, interrupting Grobnar's thoughts. The gnome snapped out of it and looked around for Bishop, but the ranger had already left.

"Sure," Lily replied. Without hesitation, she began walking to Casavir's room. To her own surprise, she didn't even try to hide her destination; before, she would have. She also noticed that, especially after looking at Bishop, she felt odd.

Neeshka's eyes bugged and Lily could tell she wanted to know what they were going to talk about, but the tiefling reluctantly stayed put, only pouting in their direction as they disappeared from view.


	76. Chapter 76

* 76 * 3/5/13, 3/8/13

When Casavir entered his room after Lily, Lily stared at him, feeling she knew what this was about.

"I am glad to see you are all right, my lady, please do not doubt this," he started, immediately delving into the point. "But, I must ask... Why did you go into the woods...that night?" In his concern, some of his politeness vanished. There was no "my lady" here.

Lily had a feeling he would ask this, but she still hadn't worked out how she'd respond in her mind. Should she tell him about her discontent at seeing Bishop and Elanee? She knew that would hurt him, but it was the honest truth. Then again, what was the point in telling him the truth? The truth involved Bishop, a person who was a terrible choice of company, first off, one that she really shouldn't get too involved with. Especially now, she had little interest in associating with him, let alone allowing issues involving him to bother Casavir.

"I don't know."

Casavir gave her a worried look. That was hardly an answer. However, perhaps now was not the time to ask her. She didn't seem completely back to normal.

_What could have happened that would make her stray into the pouring rain in the middle of the night? _he wondered. The only thing he recalled being special about that day was the unusual amount of attention she had given him, massaging his shoulders and giving him ample affection. He had even dozed off from it.

But that couldn't be related, could it? Did she have any regrets about it?

He had to clear the air to satisfy his mind, however. "May I ask if your meeting with me that night had anything to do with it?" He looked hurt, and his melancholy, unsettled tone only implied it further.

Lily gasped at the implication. She hadn't even thought of that, of what had happened right before she went to talk with Bishop, let alone what running off like that would make the paladin feel. Her mind was still a bit hazy, but now she recalled having met with Casavir in his quarters that night before going back to her room to...take care of some unfinished business. Only after that had she gone to Bishop's room.

"Casavir, no, not at all," she reassured him, shaking her head fervently. Her look was sincere. "That's not...how it was at all."

The paladin regained some of his strong, solid composure, but he was still noticeably dejected. She either _had_ had regrets about that night, or she wasn't telling him something. Both possibilities made him dour.

Noting his still-downtrodden demeanor, Lily moved close to him, looked up into his face from her height.

"I'll tell you, Casavir... I just don't feel comfortable quite yet. Please wait a little longer." Her bright green eyes traced all over his face, concern lining her own features. He really was handsome, even when frowning. She didn't want to make him frown and etch such immovable lines deeper into such a face.

"I understand, my lady," he returned, brightening up and regaining much of himself at her sincere explanation. If she just didn't feel comfortable telling him yet, he wasn't hurt. He could tell her mind was still a bit out of sorts. It made sense to him.

As if to prove this, Lily did something a bit out of the ordinary: she hugged him. Not because she was crying this time, or even in greeting. This was a real hug, one of reassurance and true friendship.

Casavir was taken aback, but pleased to be receptive to her sudden act. He remembered back to being in the Temple of Tyr with her, and how it had felt to be alone with her there. Emboldened, he wrapped his arms lightly but securely around her waist. At this, his whole body felt like melting; he was finally holding her again, alone. This time, his armor didn't mar his ability to feel her form pressed against him for a lasting time, and his every muscle was soothed by her proximity.

Lily rested there, content, at least for the moment.

_How __**do**__I feel?_ she wondered blankly.

_I feel in need..._ she admitted. But of what?

Whatever it was, Casavir's warm, tender, and wholesome embrace seemed to be pretty good at satisfying it.

Lily broke away from him, suddenly taking her right leg and leisurely closing the door behind her with it. Casavir watched blankly. When the door was closed, his eyes questioned her.

"Lily?" he mouthed softly, curiously.

A breath.

Something overcame Lily in that moment, hearing him say her actual name that way instead of a formal title, having him be so concerned about her, feeling so confused and...lonely, ever since she woke up.

"Casavir..." she returned breathlessly, leaning up on her toes to reach him and pressing her lips against his.


	77. Chapter 77 - T

* 77 * 3/5/13

Bishop sat in the tavern, trying to keep his mind busy. It was only the afternoon, but he already had a tankard in his hand. For once, he had decided to join the drunkards in the bar rather than keep to his own room. They normally irritated the hell out of him, but right now, he felt a generous amount of noise and rambunctiousness would do him some good.

To his immense surprise, Duncan Farlong suddenly came in and inserted himself right on the opposite side of the bar, as if he belonged there the whole time.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Bishop spat in disbelief at the sylvan fighter. It was as if he saw a ghost.

Duncan chuckled. "And hello to you too, Bishop. I'm taking over for the night, doctor's orders." He waved at both the usual innkeeper, Sal, and Lily's doctor, both of whom were already hammered on Bishop's side of the bar table.

"Why are you here?" Bishop demanded again. His eyes narrowed.

"Easy, Bishop. I'm not here to ruin your day. There's just no profit to be had when the barkeeper himself is smashed. Lily's friend Bevil called me over and I figured it'd be a nice reason to see you guys again. It's been awhile."

Bishop grumbled. So Bevil had called him. The only bit of mercy Bishop would give to the kid is that he didn't know Bishop hated Duncan.

"And what's with you? Drinking a full tankard or two in the afternoon already? What's going on?"

"What do you mean 'what's going on'? Is it really so unheard of, _barkeeper?_" the ranger sneered. The other men at the bar began to look at Bishop at the sound of his hostility. Perhaps some were even hoping for a fight.

"It is for you. You were at the Flagon for quite awhile and hardly ever drank this early." Duncan suddenly looked amused. "Plus, you're hanging out with other drunk people. Something's clearly wrong." He flashed a grin.

Bishop growled. He hated Duncan. He hated how he chuckled and grinned at all the wrong times, and he hated how well he knew the ranger's tendencies.

"Nothing sensational's going on, barkeep. Keep your nose out of it."

"You're as stubborn as ever," Duncan sighed, giving up for the moment.

"Hey, ranger," an acute, almost painful voice called. It sounded hostile, suspicious.

Bishop turned around, and lo and behold, the thieving Neeshka stood before his eyes.

"What do _you_ want, tiefling?" the ranger asked with venom. Why wouldn't people leave him alone?

But Neeshka returned it just as well. "To know what's been going on," she answered commandingly, taking the seat to the left of Bishop without asking his permission, surprising the ranger. He had believed the tiefling to have a more timid nature. Duncan didn't say anything; Neeshka apparently hadn't noticed him yet.

"And what the hell makes you think I'm the one to ask?"

"Because you're the only one Lily pretty much ignored. I'm not stupid, y'know. I know your history. When she avoids you, it's usually for a good reason. What did you do this time?"

Duncan raised his eyebrows.

Bishop noticed and tried to shut the thief up. "The bitch can do whatever she wants. It's got nothing to do with me," he lied.

Neeshka guffawed at his audacity. "You hug her and then call her a bitch?!" She sounded offended.

_You stupid, loose cannon, __**shut up**__!_ Bishop thought, wanting to growl through his teeth.

Some of the other men were now clearly eavesdropping. The onset of drama was exciting. Duncan's lips just parted in surprise. He looked at Bishop as if trying to get him to confirm Neeshka's words.

Bishop felt the pressure of everyone's eyes on him now. He especially didn't want Duncan knowing about any of this, what with what the bastard already knew about him. He tried to redirect the conversation. "She's stupid as hell for running off like that, getting sick and turning into some kind of zombie. I don't know _why_ she does the things she does and you shouldn't ask me," is all he could manage. There was malice in his voice, but also a tinge of...something else.

Duncan was floored by this obvious redirection. _So it is true. He's not denying it._

The barkeeper decided to break his silence, partly to relieve Bishop of the tiefling's accusations for a few moments. "Hey, Neeshka. It's been awhile." He smiled.

Neeshka gasped, finally noticing him. "Duncan! When did you get here?"

"Just now, actually. Bevil sent word and asked if I could take over for tonight."

"Why?" Neeshka asked. She was apparently blissfully unaware of the usual innkeeper lying in a heap on the floor now.

Duncan just chuckled. "Where's Lily?" he asked. Bishop bristled.

"She's talking to Casavir. I couldn't overhear anything, though, so I left." She folded her arms, pouting again.

Bishop growled at this. _You'd better not grow a halo above your head, elf. _He thought he had a good idea of what they were talking about. He wondered how Lily was answering the paladin's questions, if she had told him about what she saw Elanee and him doing, if Casavir was trying to persuade her to stay away from him for good.

_But oh no, it would hurt the paladin's feelings if she told him __**that's**__what upset her._

But, come to think of it, actually, Lily didn't seem that upset at all with him. He had expected her to give him the cold shoulder, or to insult him, not to acknowledge him and tell him she was all right. She didn't seem that mad at all.

And that bothered him.


	78. Chapter 78

* 78 * 3/5/13

Casavir was completely frozen where he stood, eyes wide at the sudden, mind-blowing sensation of Lily's soft lips on his. He didn't know what to do, what to say, what to think. The feelings overwhelming him, along with every ounce of adrenaline that now coursed through his body, were beyond words. But almost as quickly as it had happened, it was over. She had settled back flat on her feet after the quick peck, peering up at him with her entrancing green eyes.

The paladin swallowed. His heart threatened to beat right out of his chest. He couldn't even speak.

_She...kissed me?_

"How did that make you feel, Casavir?" she asked, a faraway look on her face.

"...I...could name nothing better," he admitted in earnest, abashed at his own confession.

"Would you like to feel it again?"

Casavir flushed. "I..." _Of __**course**__, Lily..._ Did she really want him to admit it, to say it out loud?

But he didn't need to. She got up on her toes once more and touched her lips to his again. This time, he closed his eyes, and their coddling lasted for longer.

Lily leaned onto Casavir's chest. His armor was still absent from before, and each time she kissed him, she bounced up for a short period, arms spread out at her sides. She was like a pixie giving butterfly pecks to her knight.

When she pulled away from him again, the paladin's eyes opened slowly, as if he were lost in a dream. Her lips entranced him.

"Now it's your turn," Lily proclaimed.

He snapped out of his trance, regaining attentiveness. "...My lady?"

"Kiss me, Casavir."

_**Gods**_ had he wanted to hear those words for a long time. He couldn't believe his ears. He was tempted to ask her why, but if he was perfectly honest with himself, he didn't care in that moment.

He wasn't entirely sure how to go about it, though. But, did it really matter?

Casavir gave her an achingly pronounced look of desire, gazing deeply into her pools of green for several seconds. The intensity of his stare made Lily's breath tremble; only Casavir could communicate with her so meaningfully with just his profound gaze. Then, he pulled her very close to him, slowly and with divine purpose. With one hand, he tilted her chin up and closed his eyes, placing his lips gently on hers.

Lily immediately grew drunk from the attention, lingered longingly in his romantic affection. This was exactly what she had been craving. She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and held onto him, held onto the feeling of being desired.

Some time passed before they were separate again. The paladin was legitimately floored, but baffled. "...May I ask why, my lady?" No matter the reason, he was satisfied. He had kissed her, the woman he felt so strongly for for many months, and the endorphins that flooded his veins made it hard to be upset or suspicious about anything.

"Do I need a reason?" she asked lightly, a mite irritated with the interruption. She instantly went for his lips again, just wanting to lose herself in kissing him, in sweet affection...

But, catching herself, Lily realized how rude she was being to the one person who was always so nice to her, and she smiled instead. "You're so sweet to me, Casavir," she said simply. She hoped these words satisfied him for now.

She neared him again, and he held her up once more. Then, she whispered in his ear.

"And, call me Lily."

They locked lips again.


	79. Chapter 79

* 79 * 3/5/13

Neeshka had left the tavern, giving up on trying to get Bishop to talk. He wouldn't, _especially_ not to her. He knew how much of a gossiper she was; she could never keep her big blabbermouth shut.

"What was that about?" Duncan asked.

Ever.

"Does it even matter?" the ranger returned with tangible irritation. The other drunks had gone back to minding their own business in the relative silence after the loudmouth was gone. Duncan hadn't wanted to ask Bishop about anything until they had turned their attention away.

"Lily doesn't seem like the type to outright ignore anyone," Duncan added.

Bishop couldn't help it. "I know," he snapped. There was that tinge of something in his voice again. Duncan had only heard that tone one other time with Bishop. When _was_ that? He racked his brain, but just couldn't remember for the life of him.

"But she's not ignoring me," Bishop corrected him, much to Duncan's surprise. "I'd half expect her to, but instead she's acting like everything's fine. It doesn't make any sense."

The fighter barkeeper couldn't believe his ears. _Does he...__**love**__her? _he considered, completely bewildered. _Is such a thing even possible for Bishop? _Duncan was beginning to see the ranger in an entirely new light.

"What happened?" he asked, trying to sound as undemanding as possible. If he was honest, though, he was now terribly curious. The moody ranger he himself had forced to join the group when Shandra first went missing had fallen for the group's leader, and Daeghun's own adoptive child. This was, to say the absolute least, a very unexpected turn of events.

Bishop took a drink. Duncan could tell he was throwing back a lot, even for his normal standards. The secretive ranger would never let any of these personal details out otherwise.

After a few moments, Bishop put down his tankard and answered: "She saw me fooling around with Elanee." It was almost nonchalant. Almost. Once again, the extra flavor in his voice was there.

_You sure do have a thing for elves. _The barkeeper almost chuckled, but he stopped himself, knowing that that would set Bishop off and make him keep his mouth shut about any more information.

But Duncan grew serious once more when he considered the severity of the situation. What Bishop mentioned didn't sound like the sort of thing someone could bounce back from quickly.

"Do you care about Elanee?"

"No!" Bishop almost shouted, drawing attention his way again. He waited for heads to turn back away from him before continuing in a low voice, "That treehugger can screw any one of these drunks for all I care."

"Then why did you do it?" Duncan ventured.

"Because I..." Bishop started, but he caught himself. He wasn't drunk enough to let _that_ much out.

Duncan understood nonetheless. He thought he wrapped his head around the situation pretty well, in fact. Knowing what he knew about the ranger, the barkeeper thought that Bishop couldn't allow himself to give into his intense attraction to Lily, and he had needed to feel detached and in control of himself again. What better way to do that than to spend the night with a woman he didn't care about, just like he used to?

And at that moment, Duncan realized what that extra tinge in Bishop's voice had been, a sound he'd heard only once from the ranger from before, when they first discussed his debt.

Guilt.


	80. Chapter 80 - M

_**Ceye's note**__: And as a "happy birthday" to me, here was one of my favorite chapters to write. Enjoy~! ;3_

...

* 80 * 3/5/13, 3/8/13, 3/29/13

Lily broke away from kissing Casavir. Both of them were panting hard by now, having spent the past several minutes tasting each other's lips.

She couldn't even describe what came over her when he kissed her. Everything she craved, everything her mind wanted her body to have, became more satisfied the more his lips were on hers. She was already addicted to the paladin's reserved, bated breath, and she tasted it with great savor as it was a treasure she knew was not oft given out.

"Put me on that table," she commanded of her knight, pointing to her right breathlessly. Casavir obeyed, his strong arms lifting her small frame onto the table as if she were no more than a feather. From her position atop the table, she could easily reach the paladin's height now.

Lily smiled devilishly at him as she got an idea, and brought his face to hers to kiss him again. This time, however, she had a surprise. They had been kissing using mere pressure before, but neither of them had opened their mouth. Now Lily did, opening her lips and taking his with them. When the paladin's were separated enough, she bit his lower lip gently, hinting at what she wanted from him. Casavir let out a strangled breath and pulled away from her immediately.

"My la—Lily," he panted, almost pleadingly. He didn't need to explain. The bite had been mischievous, teasing. She was trying to rile him up, and it was working.

"What is it, Casavir?" she teased, playing dumb. In the other's flustered state, the mischievous elf saw an opportunity to test him. The paladin's mouth hung open as he tried to catch his breath and remain composed.

As she caught sight of this gratifying reaction, Lily knew exactly what she wanted.

_How long can you hold yourself back, dear Casavir? _she wondered suddenly with a coquettish smirk._ How long can you rein yourself in before I push you over the edge? And how long can we fool around before you lose the disciplined paladin in you? _She grinned. She liked this game of cat-and-mouse.

Lily leaned forward and licked Casavir's lips for a tortured second, then delved her tongue inside his mouth.

If the paladin wasn't riled up before, his heavy breathing and quickly-evaporating self control now proved he was way beyond his comfort zone. He didn't break away, but he didn't return the kiss, either. He was fighting his body's reactions to her incredibly forward displays, steeling himself as best as he could. He granted himself enough leeway to enjoy what she did, but refused to go further himself.

Lily tangled her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer, darting her tongue deeper into his mouth. After a few seconds of tasting her indelible eagerness, the paladin relented and allowed himself a slight more freedom. He began reciprocating, hesitantly at first.

This excited Lily, made her want to play with him even more.

_Can you resist me, Casavir, even when I'm giving you every sign to keep going?_

The paladin was driven insane with desire. He didn't know if she was just toying with him or if she actually wanted him then and there, but he almost didn't care. Almost. A considerable part of him still wanted to break free, to tell her no, but in the face of her obvious permission, his iron resolve was fading fast.

Casavir's craving only grew as the heated moments wore on, desiring more of her. He put a hand gently on her back, then finally returned her tongue's voracious enthusiasm.

_Lily..._ he thought weakly. But no other words came to mind.

The two barely broke apart now and then to catch their breath and look at each other, their lips wet. During a few such times, Casavir had brief chances to think.

_She hasn't fully recovered... How can I be doing this to her? I must stay focused on our goal. I am her protector, not her lover. _And he almost snapped out of it a few times.

But every time, Lily would kiss him again, swirling her tongue intoxicatingly around his, and he felt himself give in to her once more.

When Lily started sensing his willingness, his deep-seated desire to continue, break through from the abyss – when she began feeling that his resolve was nearly broken, she started to lean back. Slowly, ever so slowly, she drew back so as to make Casavir lean over her on the table. Soon, she was lying flat on her back, keeping her mouth locked on his. He was on top of her now, and she could feel the rapid pounding of his heart.

Lily was turned on now, a feeling that had never truly overcome her in the presence of Casavir before; his reined-in nature rubbed off on her, and she found that she, too, always held herself back. Something about awakening a long-lost part of the able paladin, though, excited her in a way she hadn't felt in a long time. In fact, Lily was surprised by how forward her own mind's sudden conjurations were. She had the strong, overwhelming urge to feel her paladin harden, feel him rock solid against her, but their position wasn't quite right for that.

The lonely playfulness continued to speak through Lily's lips:_ How much more of this can you take, Casavir? Are you able to stop yourself? Surely you can handle this situation._

Casavir was dazed for a few more seconds in their kiss, but then he abruptly broke away, noticing their scandalous position. "Lily, we must stop," he said firmly despite his breathlessness.

_There it is,_ Lily thought, amused. _But, I wonder...?_

Casavir continued, "I have done nothing to deserve this; we must stop immediately." Just then, however, Lily leaned upward and bit his earlobe. As he tried to continue talking, she played with it with her tongue, distracting him.

"_**Lily**_," he repeated. His deep, normally-composed voice was now almost desperate.

In response, Lily drew back from his ear and spoke simply, ignoring his demands.

"Bed me, Casavir."

There was no hesitation in her tone. No uncertainty. It was a simple command, uttered in a sultry voice.

Casavir was visibly **incredibly** roused at her solicitation of him, but through this, he looked at her painfully. "Lily, I cannot...do that to you." He couldn't believe she had just propositioned him, let alone so very directly.

"To me? It'd be with me. I want it. I want it now."

"Lily..." he started again, but then gave up. "_**Why**_ do you ask this of me?" he asked in earnest, his voice truly desperate now. She was pitting his incredible desire directly against his honed inhibitions, and for once, he wasn't entirely certain which would win out.

Lily looked at him like he was stupid. "Because I know you can give it to me." When the paladin cleared his throat nervously, she continued, "You protect me so much. You're always there, ready to come to my aid if something happens. You were so worried about me... And you wanted to stay with me today, so much so that you didn't even put your armor on this morning. Do you know what that says to me, Casavir?"

Casavir swallowed, having one idea of what she might say next. Despite this, he shook his head.

_...Does she know?_

"You care for me. A lot."

The paladin relaxed. With that, he could easily agree. He knew she already knew that.

"I want you to please me. You're loyal and wish to serve me, right?" She knew that cut to his heart, could convince him to do almost anything she wanted.

Casavir tensed again. He _did_ wish to serve her needs, and had sworn to her to do so.

"...Do you truly desire that of me?"

"I do."

He was silent once more. Then, after a few, strangled moments, asked, "Is there not any other way to please you, my lady?"

Lily narrowed his eyes at him and thought for a moment. Then, she smirked. She had an idea of how to get her way while still playing partially by his rules and within his realm of comfort.

"Kiss me. Kiss me until I'm satisfied," she commanded.

Casavir leapt at the opportunity. Kissing her made him feel more than ecstasy, and while it was still a far more personal act than Casavir felt he deserved, the severity of it was nowhere near that of what she had originally been asking of him.

Relieved they had come to a settlement, and one that he readily enjoyed, he brought his face close to hers again. As quickly as he had approached her, however, he pulled back once more. "In this position?" he asked, referring to his rather possessive place on top of her.

"Exactly in this position," she positively purred. Casavir breathed hard again for a few seconds, summoning all of his strength to try to keep under the fullest control in such a salacious and suggestive place over Lily's beautiful, supine form. He leaned back down over her and kissed her slowly with just his lips at first. After a minute of this, however, Lily wouldn't let him continue the soft pecks. She spread her lips slightly and Casavir obediently tasted her. As soon as he did, she grabbed his arm. "Casavir," she moaned against his mouth.

By her excited tone, he could tell she wasn't crying his name to make him stop. Flustered by the sound of her soft moan of his name, he continued tasting her, keeping his movements slow and romantic despite her greed.

She let him continue for a few more seconds before she felt him move deeper. Then, she began whining.

"Casavirrr..."

Her sensual voice as well as her greed began feeding the paladin's own lust. With the sweet music she was making, he felt like he was already moving over her, quenching her avidity, as well as his own. He felt ashamed to think such thoughts, but he obediently continued quenching her desires, and as he kissed her over and over, her seductive moans forced him deeper and deeper into the abyss that was thoughtlessness.

Lily wanted to test him further. He was already doing an excellent job of turning her on, and she wanted more. Now, each time she felt the urge to moan, she lifted her chin slightly, higher and higher, until Casavir had to make a conscious decision to keep going after her lips and her lips alone.

But he didn't. With her tempting, illustrious and soft skin before him, Casavir began kissing her vulnerable neck. Immediately, Lily grew wanton, excited. So he _could _be tempted. She moved more and more until he was in the position she wanted him in, with him teasing the very sensitive erogenous zone on her neck with his lips. Without Lily even having to command him to, Casavir soon began teasing the spot with his tongue.

"Ohhh..." the elf moaned. It was almost too sensitive to such a warm, wet touch. In fact, she hadn't quite planned that giving him access to that spot would allow him this much power over her bodily sensations, but she just couldn't bring herself to regret it.

Afraid that she might break him out of his unthinking, blind trance if she spoke too loudly, she whispered in his ear: "Don't stop."

This, of course, only drove the paladin on further. Casavir began dragging his hand softly against her side in a movement not even Lily had anticipated. After trying to think on it a brief moment, she gasped as she realized he was going to feel her breast.

Lily blushed at this independent motivation, starting to tremble in anticipation, but not interfering with his motive. _Yes, Casavir, give in..._ her mind encouraged, but she didn't feel like the seductress anymore, and he was really tantalizing her. She couldn't stop thinking about how it would feel if the powerful man before her started thrusting deep inside of her. With all his strength honed through countless battles – for decades, no less – it would make the table rattle; that was for certain.

As if being scolded for not doing just that, the table suddenly made a loud sliding sound as Lily tried to reposition her legs.

This was all that was needed to snap Casavir back to the moment. Immediately at the realization of his position, and of his actions, he abruptly slid off of her, disentangling his mouth from hers and his hand from her side.

Casavir gazed at Lily in guilt and abject shock, her halfway-ravaged form splayed out before him with her clothes askew. The stark blush on her face when she looked up at him made him ashamed.

"My lady..." Casavir started, his expression horrified. "I...I apologize... I am _so_ terribly..."

Feeling exposed at his sudden abandonment, Lily straightened her clothes and covered her chest instinctively, despite it still being clothed. She felt hurt and insecure by his changed mind.

_Hadn't he just told me he felt doing it so suddenly was uncomfortable, and then I pushed him into it?_ she tried to reason with herself.

_No, _another part of her mind scolded. _He was clearly enjoying it, and now he stopped. Why did he stop? _She started feeling bad again, her insecurity consuming her.

In the moments it took Lily to think these thoughts, Casavir had been ripping himself to shreds in his own mind, too. His guilt became too great to bear, seeing her lay ravished in front of him like that, and after one more, "I am so sorry, my lady..." he bolted out the door.


	81. Chapter 81

* 81 * 3/5/13

Bishop sat in his room, having had enough of Duncan's prying. When he eventually realized he was revealing a lot of personal details to the damned barkeep, Bishop had given up drinking for the night, angry with himself for having a mouth almost as big as the tiefling's.

The last couple of nights had been odd for Bishop. He had kind of gotten used to Lily knocking on his door late at night, sometimes just wanting to talk. He remembered her expression when he gave her the cat, even recalled with a slight grin how she had left his room frustrated that one night not so long ago. That all seemed so insignificant now.

One thing was for sure: having gotten drunk today didn't do him any favors. He opened his mouth to Duncan, nearly had half the bar figure out what was going on, and now, he sat here in the chair he'd often sat in, thinking of her.

He chastised himself for it. _She's gone, _he told himself. But, to his surprise, thinking of it that way made him upset, restless.

_Why am I being such a little pussy? _he thought, though he tried not to think this too harshly. Being upset in general was to be expected after his thoughtless actions today.

Still, though, he was hardly in the mood to talk to anyone else. And there it was, a knock at his door, though he wasn't delusional enough to think it would be Lily.

Instead, it was...

"Bevil?" Bishop questioned when he opened the door. His tone was hardly inviting.

"I heard from Duncan that you were in here. Can I come in?"

_What in the hell does this guy want?_ Bishop wondered. Bevil's goody-two-shoes act bothered the ranger.

Bishop wasn't feeling up to talking to Lily's former flame, whatever he had to say. "The hell do you want?" his words echoed his thoughts.

"It's about Lily," Bevil explained.

"Sure it is," the ranger replied brusquely, tilting his head back. "I'm not interested."

"Please, just hear me out." Bevil was about to ask again but, seeing the hostile glare Bishop gave him, just sighed and went on his way.

This won him a few meager brownie points with the ranger. At least he wasn't annoyingly persistent.

"What do you want?" Bishop called.

Enlivened, Bevil returned, and Bishop opened the door more, though, standing there stiffly, he gave the kid hardly enough room to pass through it.

He got straight to the point, much to the impatient ranger's relief. "I've hardly ever seen Lily like that before," he started.

"Like what?"

"Well... Sorry if this comes off the wrong way, but she didn't seem happy to see you at all."

Bishop rolled his eyes. So this was going to turn into a lecture.

"And at first I thought, 'Well, she's clearly mad at him'. It made perfect sense," Bevil reasoned. "But then, she talked to you. Though she was still obviously upset, she acted like nothing was wrong."

Bishop narrowed his eyes. This conversation was becoming slightly more to his interest. Why had this guy been paying so close attention, though?

To which Bevil answered: "I know it's not my business, but I just couldn't help but think of the only other time I've seen her act that way. It's really memorable."

"And when was that?" Bishop asked, purposefully making his tone harsh to hide his interest.

"Back in West Harbor, when we were younger. I was playing with this other girl Amie a lot. Lily didn't like it. When I thought about why she was being listless and figured out that was probably it, I went to face her."

Bevil shook his head, punctuating his reverie. "But when I told her I'd try to spend more time with her than with Amie, she gave me that look she gave you. That blank look. I asked her what was going on. For days, almost weeks, she wouldn't tell me. The whole time, she was acting like everything was fine, even though she was treating me very differently."

"Finally, she'd had enough of me asking, or maybe she just felt bad about it. She told me I had never needed to apologize, because it was her that was being stupid."

Bishop raised his eyebrows.

"Lily has an interesting relationship with jealousy. She told me she feels terrible and insecure for feeling it, because she wants me to do what I want, too, not just what she wants. She said she didn't want to have a say in what I did because she was normally happy just to let things unfold the way they unfold."

"I told her I understood her being jealous, and she took it as a strike to the heart. She cried and told me she felt like she didn't make any sense, being happy for me while still feeling upset. Until she could resolve what she felt toward me, though, she completely blanked when she thought of how to act around me and constantly considered whether to show her dismay or to hide it."

"What followed was one of the weirder parts of my childhood. Lily, a good friend of mine for a long time, pretty much blanked every time I got near her. She wasn't ever mean to me; it just was like none of our interactions meant anything to her. I was kind of a nobody in my best friend's eyes, and it hurt."

"I don't know how or why she got over it, but after a few months, she started laughing with me again. Tentatively at first, then for real." Bevil smiled.

"This may be totally unrelated to whatever is going on with you, but I know it's related to why she's acting that way now. Maybe it's not jealousy or another girl, but I don't think she knows what she's feeling right now about something, and she feels even more conflicted for not making any sense. And, to be honest, I told you in the hopes that it might make her stop. Her acting that way gives me the creeps from how sad it made me way back when."

Bishop hmphed._What kind of fairytale childhood did this guy have if something like __**that**__bothers him so much?_

Then again, the ranger was hardly one to talk.

Bishop didn't want the kid to feel like he'd helped too much, but he also wanted to encourage him to talk if he knew anything else. He settled with a thoughtful but short "Hm."

"Lily's like a sister to me," Bevil finished.

Bishop laughed. "That's an interesting way to put it."

"Why?" Bevil asked, baffled. Catching sight of Bishop's _oh-come-on_ expression, it was Bevil's turn to laugh.

"Oh." Bevil then gave a knowing smile. "You think I slept with her, don't you?" he inquired with humor.

The ranger blinked. Now _his_ face was blank.

"Everyone does. I don't mind, really. Makes people stop asking me when I'm going to get a girlfriend when they assume that." Bevil thought for a moment. "We've never been anything more than friends. We were closest right when West Harbor was destroyed, but then I left for awhile and we grew apart a little. It's nice to see her again. You know, alive." Bevil smiled sadly at the memory of his village.

Bishop said nothing, still focused on the first implication. _Never slept with her? _He almost couldn't believe it. At the very least, Bevil was much more tolerable now.

"Anyway, I think I'll get a drink. Haven't tried one since I've been here, actually; Kana's been keeping me outside the Keep recruiting people from all over." With that, Bevil got to his feet. "You wanna join me?"

"Nahh," Bishop answered, disgust on his face. He was sick of drinking...at least for a day or two.

"See ya, then," Bevil replied, exiting and leaving Bishop to his own thoughts again.

But to be honest, he didn't know what to make of pretty much any of it.


	82. Chapter 82

* 82 * 3/5/13

Lily felt embarrassed, exposed, like she just wanted to go hide under a rock. She would have felt bad earlier for seducing Casavir like that, but didn't he want it too? Maybe she had interpreted his recent, passionate kisses all incorrectly.

Great. She felt ashamed, now, too.

Her emotions were so befuddled that she definitely wasn't in the right state to go find Casavir, and _especially_ not to see Bishop. But she caught sight of the ranger entering the large doors to the main hall, though, and quickly retreated to her room before he saw her.

Lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, Lily felt like crying. Much to her chagrin, she started to, though she managed to keep her sobs quiet.

Then she heard a knock on the door and almost threw her pillow at it before realizing it was probably Bishop. When she thought this, she almost instantly stopped crying, her mind almost instantly developing a sort of mask. She got to her feet and went to the door, opening it.

The ranger hadn't really planned things out. Even though the door was opened, he didn't look at her yet, because he had no idea what to say.

"Well, are you just going to stand there?" Lily said with a chuckle.

Hearing the grating sound of a fake laugh, Bishop looked at her. Something about her face, too, seemed off.

"Come in," she said, rolling her eyes at the spaced-out ranger.

He did, and immediately spotted the cat in the corner. The little thing apparently had its own bed now.

"Lily," Bishop started, whirling around to face her. Lily turned around at the sound of his voice. Just then, as a light in her quarters illuminated her face, Bishop saw a reflection below her eye.

She was crying. Now that he thought of it, her eyes were a little red.

He frowned, but he chose not to mention it. Instead, he wanted to get her to show some feeling. He wanted to start by bringing up a neutral subject, but every topic he initially thought of eventually came back to how she ran out into the woods, got sick, and stayed in bed for a few days. There hadn't been much going on since then.

As he was thinking, though, Lily seemed infinitely patient. Bishop gave her a weird look. Normally she'd implore him with a "Yes...?" or something, but there was just an idle grin on her face. The tears didn't make it look any more genuine.

"The cat has its own bed now, huh?" he tried.

"Yeah," she said, looking at Ounce. The cat seemed just as confused by Lily as Bishop was.

Bishop frowned, not getting nearly enough of a response from that to be able to tell anything yet. He thought, trying to come up with something he knew got on Lily's nerves.

On second thought, that was probably why he irritated her so much.

He continued anyway. _Hmm. Her cat._ The only thing that came to mind when he thought of her cat was...

"Those other cats are probably dead by now," he said. He certainly wasn't winning any points for tact.

Instead of being exasperated by his rudeness and insensitivity, though, Lily shrugged. "Could it really be helped? They were bred to fight, not to mention terrorize humans."

Bishop's eyes narrowed. Part of him almost viewed this as a sick game, trying to come up with things to unsettle her so she showed some damned opinion again. He thought this was something he'd be good at normally, but was probably thinking too hard for it to work.

"You could have taken them all in so they didn't have to die."

_Come on. Tell me I'm the one who brought him back, so it's my fault._

"I don't really think it'd be nice to ask the Keep to take care of a litter of man-eating cats for me."

Bishop wrinkled his nose in disgust. She was starting to act as blank as Casavir.

The ranger sighed in frustration, eying her impatiently. Her hair was still down. He wanted to feel it. He'd usually keep this urge in check, but he decided to let it go this once. _Maybe that'd get a reaction out of her._ He took a piece of her hair and ran his finger through it.

No reaction. She didn't even tell him to stop.

He'd had enough. "Ugh, I'm leaving." Bishop turned back toward the door.

"All right."

"It's not 'all right'; you're acting like a –" Bishop didn't continue as soon as he whirled back around, having caught sight of the wet spots near her eyes again.

"Why are you crying?"

Lily smiled. "I'm not."

Bishop looked at her awhile longer, trying to think of something to say. But the gesture would be lost on her in her stupid daze.

"Whatever," he mumbled plainly. He definitely needed some fresh air after this.


	83. Chapter 83 - T

* 83 * 3/6/13, 3/8/13

Lily stared at the door for awhile after Bishop left. _That was strange, _was all she thought.

Not quite sure what else to do, she figured she'd go to the war room to see if it should be remade into something more...well, useful. They had barely gone into it once since acquiring the Keep. She was desperate to latch onto anything that would occupy her mind now.

However, in order to get there, she had to pass by the west wing, which contained the rooms of everyone except Bishop and herself...including Casavir's. She huffed and straightened, deciding to make the trek anyway.

Neeshka had returned from harassing Bishop awhile ago. The tiefling noticed when Lily crossed the main hall, mostly because of Casavir's presence where the elf was headed. Ever interested in such affairs, she sneakily followed the Leader to the west wing.

There, Casavir stood in the hall. He had come back to the west wing but had not yet returned to his room, possibly for how uncomfortable the surroundings made him feel. When he saw Lily approach with a severe, determined expression, he asked, "Is something wrong, my lady?"

Lily glared at him. "Move," she commanded, shoving him to the side and out of her way.

Casavir was surprised. She had actually shoved him. Was she really that upset?

Neeshka obviously took great interest in this, but she felt it'd be better to leave Lily alone instead of play around like this. After trying to make sense of it, the thief shrugged and retreated to go play with Ounce.

Casavir knew by now what happened if he let Lily seethe all alone, so, despite her unkind mood, he followed her into the war room. She was poring over one of the war strategy books inside, and he stood his ground when she looked up to glare at him again.

"Do not be upset, my lady."

"Then don't be delusional, Casavir," she spat in a mocking tone.

The paladin's brows furrowed at her attack. He hadn't expected that. "What do you mean?"

"You're in such denial about _everything!_ About how you feel, about what you are...even about what you believe!" For the first time, Lily was as frustrated about it as Bishop. She felt like she was being really harsh to him, but she really couldn't care less at the moment.

Casavir frowned, not appreciating the unexpected affront. "Why do you think that?"

"You can't let go and just _do_ anything, you always have to think it all through!"

"Forgive me, my lady, but I believe that is part of what makes me an able warrior."

"And a heartless lover," she finished for him.

Casavir gasped. "My lady?" He was deeply hurt, and the severity of the emotional blow absolutely stunned him. He normally would try to understand what she meant, but this time, he already knew. That had hardly been the first time he'd heard that accusation. He could not even describe how much it hurt to hear it from Lily, had no words for how paralyzed he felt to know she thought that way.

"Do you think it feels good to have you enjoying yourself so much with me one second, then pull back like I'm the embodiment of the plague the next?" She felt so exposed and unwanted.

Casavir's expression softened, but he remained serious. "That was not my intention." Guilt began to swallow him, even more than it had when he reciprocated Lily's physicality hours before.

"You _left_, Casavir!" she almost shouted at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I had overstepped my bounds, my lady," he said, keeping his tone level despite Lily's rising.

"And you were _enjoying_ it. Tyr forbid you _enjoy_ yourself once in awhile, right?!"

Casavir stiffened.

"And why do you say things like that? That you 'overstepped your bounds'? I _told_ you to!"

"Forgive me, my lady, but you do not possess your fullest faculties."

Lily's mouth fell open at his audacity. "So now I'm a headcase and nothing I say is what I actually mean? You think I wasn't being serious?"

"...No," he admitted honestly, even though he felt ill of what the consequences would be.

Lily marched over to Casavir and slapped him right across the face. The smack echoed through the war room's walls, as well as the paladin's heart, but no one else was contained in such fortresses to hear it.

"You're such an ass!"

Casavir had recoiled in surprise. When he looked back at her, he had no idea what to say. He'd never seen her so angry. Stunned, he couldn't even muster enough bodily feeling to hold his smarting cheek.

When Lily shoved past him again, he asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving!"

"**No**," he stated firmly, his senses fully regained now. He grabbed her arm lightly, but firmly, and would not let her continue despite her tangible anger.

"Don't touch me!" she shouted, swatting at his hand. When that didn't work, she tried to pry his grip open.

"You will not leave like that again."

"Casavir, you're hurting me."

"I am not."

Lily had wanted to scowl at him, but instead, her eyes grew wide. She was genuinely surprised her farce didn't work.

"Let me go."

"Then you cannot leave."

"I can't make any promises," she replied obstinately with the hint of a snarl.

"Then I will not let you go." He grabbed her other wrist and stubbornly made her face him to solidify this point.

Lily looked up haughtily into his hard, icy blue eyes with her fiery greens. From the way he held her arms, the valley between her breasts was deepened, giving him ample sight of her cleavage above her black shirt. Knowing this, she would normally try to use it to her advantage in this kind of situation, but with Casavir's recent actions, it just made her feel exposed and uncomfortable. She wasn't even entirely sure the heartless paladin noticed.

A few minutes passed. Lily had never seen him act like this. He seemed to actually be standing his ground and asserting control for once instead of deferring to the decisions of someone else.

"Casavir," the elf said quietly as the moments lingered on. She had her eyes turned to the ground and was now beginning to feel a little hopeless instead of mad. "Don't you feel desire?" She finally looked up at him again.

He returned her gaze severely. "Do you truly believe I stopped due to lack of desire?" he asked in disbelief.

"You just looked so horrified," the elf reasoned sadly, dejectedly.

Her expression pained him. He couldn't stand knowing she felt he had rejected her. He thought for a long moment.

"I was not horrified from what we were doing, my lady. I was only horrified at what I was doing to you." Lily was unresponsive, and her silence made him uncomfortable.

"Do you really wish for me to display more of it?" he asked, referencing the desire she accused him of lacking.

Lily looked at him hopefully. "I do. I...need it," she nodded. She felt sheepish. Earlier, he had been sating her needs for affection and love, but his sudden departure had left her feeling even more vulnerable than before. She felt immature and whiny, and it embarrassed her.

Without warning, the paladin moved toward her and embraced her, wrapping his arms securely and protectively around her smaller frame. Lily, shocked, just looked over his shoulder. He grasped her tighter.

Suddenly, Casavir kissed her cheek. Not having expected that in the least, Lily's eyes grew wide. They stayed that way for several seconds, his lips grazing her face, as she felt her loneliness slowly begin to fade once more.

"Casavir?" she questioned as he pulled away from her cheek.

The paladin slowly opened his eyes. He responded to her soft inquiry by releasing his grasp on her and just barely touching his nose to hers. Then, he reached up to clasp her hand in his, holding it gently.

"Lily," he whispered, elated to use her real name in such a tender moment. "You are dear to me," he professed sweetly, kissing her cheek again.

Lily felt like a blushing schoolgirl at this confession, at his new demeanor. Casavir's sweetness meant more to her now than it ever had before, so soon after she had felt so hurt. Now, the paladin actually seemed to have a will of his own instead of being a holy lapdog. He was even holding her hand completely of his own volition.

Her anger had dissipated at his earnest displays of affection. She was touched even by how he hadn't needed to close the door first to treat her this way. _Was all he had wanted this whole time just my permission to romance me?_

"Is this better, Lily?"

Lily smiled at her knight, starting to feel content again.

"Much."


	84. Chapter 84

* 84 * 3/6/13

"Okay, that was weird."

Bishop leaned against a tree and looked up into the darkening sky, thinking of Lily's emotionless visage. She hadn't reacted to pretty much anything that would normally get on her nerves. The sheer disgust he felt at her fake demeanor made him crave the fresh air and sight of the wilderness, so here he stood out in the woods.

He had half a mind to return to the spot Lily and he had discovered by the waterfall, but he kept his distance from that place in case it would dig up some unnecessary feelings.

_Feelings,_ the ranger thought with distaste. _I'm sick of them. Such a hassle, a weakness._

Why _did_ he stick around anyway? His debt to Duncan had been long repaid, yet Bishop still tolerated the bunch of buffoons. His experience today made him grim.

_If she's going to act like that, I'm not going to hang around. _His interest in staying with the group was limited if Lily wasn't being Lily.

He recalled the last time he saw the elf cry before today. The pain-in-the-ass paladin had been taken in by a succubus, and Lily was upset. Perhaps she craved all the attention, or just felt like the holy paladin was an impostor for wanting to fornicate with a demon.

When Bishop caught up with her, she had started to cry. At that time, though, it didn't feel like she was just upset with Casavir. Lily looked so lost, so out of place, and he thought it had something to do with the destruction of her village, as well as the loss of her happy-go-lucky childhood.

That was the first time Bishop held her. The desire had taken hold of him rather suddenly, and she looked like she badly needed some comfort.

It had felt a lot better than he thought it would, and soon, Bishop realized he wanted more.

_Stupid as hell for me to get all touchy-feely,_ he thought.

But, for some reason, the ranger felt calm against his better mind when he thought of Lily hugging him, thanking him for saving her on Mount Galardrym. When he thought of laughing with her in the stream, he didn't feel ashamed, but amused. And when he recalled her reaction to sharing a vanilla flower with him...he just couldn't help but smirk as it lingered in his head, tantalizing his senses as if she were there with him again.


	85. Chapter 85 - T

* 85 * 3/7/13

The bar was almost full, now that it was dark outside. The many laborers and citizens of Crossroad Keep and its surrounding areas came to the inn to drown their woes, or just have a little fun past dark. There was a "merchant girl" in the corner, too, in case any of the men wanted to indulge in that kind of thing. She had already been taken up on her "wares" once tonight.

But Bishop wasn't interested in used goods. He was back in the tavern, though this time he wasn't drinking, preferring instead to sit by the hearth and think. The noise was preferable to being stuck alone with his own thoughts.

"Move over," said a familiar voice behind him. Bishop looked and found Qara taking a man's seat.

Qara instantly noticed him. "Oh, hi. Figured you'd come play with the rest of us drunks?"

"Regretting the decision more each second," Bishop called.

"Not gonna have any, huh? Suit yourself," she said, raising both eyebrows haughtily.

Bishop grumbled. That stuff played a large part in making him blurt out things that weren't any of any one else's business. Come to think of it, though...he _was_ thirsty.

He rejoined the bar, displacing another man like Qara had done. Most of the people there knew who the two were, but some of them couldn't care less, including this guy. When the man tried to pick a fight, though, a practiced glare from a contemplative Bishop made him falter and go stand against the wall.

"Water," Bishop commanded of the barkeep. He pretended nothing had happened earlier.

"What's this, now?" Duncan asked, raising his brows in surprise.

"Is thirst so uncommon?" the ranger shot back impatiently. When had he developed the reputation of a drunk?

"For you? No, but thirst for nothing more than water is," the barkeeper teased, sliding the ranger a glass. As he poured water into it, he read Bishop's expression. The ranger seemed complacent enough, but he wasn't going to test him further this time. At least, he didn't plan to.

"So what's with you?" Qara asked bluntly.

"Step off." He waved his hand as if swatting at a pesky fly.

She looked at him like he was a moron. "You're sitting at a bar with almost-wasted people and already-wasted people, and you don't expect anyone to talk to you?" She smirked at his nonsense logic.

"So you're wasted already? Didn't know you couldn't handle your alcohol, spellbrat."

Qara took a swig. "Eat it," she said nonchalantly, completely unaffected and still waiting for an answer.

He frowned at her still-present smirk. He couldn't intimidate someone who was so used to doing the same thing to other people. "There's nothing _with_ me except for a bow and some arrows, which I would be elated to use on you if you don't quit asking."

"Oh, shut up," Qara replied, completely unfazed by his threat. "I mean what's _with_ you. Why are you being so mopey? Way more than normal."

Bishop scowled.

"You know, all you'd have to say is 'Lily' and I'd get it." She took a swig again.

Glare.

A glare back.

"You just can't admit it to yourself, can you?" Her superior expression unnerved Bishop.

"There's nothing to admit," he snapped, getting irritated.

"You mean you _don't_ want to screw her brains out?"

Bishop smirked. "Well... I can admit that."

"You and a thousand other guys here," she commented, rolling her eyes. Bishop bristled.

Just then, one of the "thousand other guys" there from before spoke up, "Yeah, but he fucked another elf!" The guy hiccuped, then laughed.

Bishop immediately got out of his seat and aimed a fist at the guy's throat, but Duncan fully expected this and caught Bishop's arm.

"There will be none of that in here, Bishop. Sit down."

Bishop had forgotten that Duncan wasn't a complete pushover. He refused to sit for a few more moments, though, out of sheer spite. When he looked back at Qara to assess the damage, the sorceress had barely reacted.

"So you screwed another girl and now Lily won't talk to you, huh?" Her expression was wholly unsurprised. Bishop couldn't tell if this relieved or unsettled him.

"I didn't 'screw another girl'. She saw me right when I was _going_ to," he corrected.

"Oh-ho-ho, so she _saw_ it? I thought she heard about it. That's funny," Qara said. She was totally amused. Bishop wasn't sure how to take that.

"Looks like you won't be in the team for awhile. That sucks. I can't stand that horned gossip girl."

The outdoorsy ranger scowled at this. That was one of the other reasons this whole situation bothered him.

"You know, you could just talk to her. Avoiding her after you got caught isn't going to make her feel any less sore about it."

Bishop first looked at her like she was stupid. After considering this for a few moments, however, his expression went back to neutral. Maybe it would cleanse the air a little.

Qara watched him consider her suggestion. "You'd better do it soon. I saw Lily and you-know-who saying goodbye for the night, and there was definitely something going on from what I could see in both their faces."

The ranger's mouth fell open in disgust and horror. "That son of a bitch _would_, wouldn't he..." He was talking to himself, thinking of how he had taken advantage of Casavir's screw-up to get closer to Lily. Of course the paladin would do the same in return.

_So you __**do**__ believe in revenge, huh, paladin?_


	86. Chapter 86

* 86 * 3/7/13, 3/8/13

Lily had butterflies. She had never been treated like that before, like a princess instead of a warrior. She hadn't expected to like it as much as she did, given how fragile and feminine it made her feel. Perhaps it was okay in small quantities, even for a girl of her stubbornness and power.

She almost skipped back to her quarters after having a quick, refreshing meal in the dining hall. Not only was she not feeling lonely anymore, but she'd also been able to fully taste and enjoy her food for the first time since she became sick.

She did have to admit, though, that despite her loneliness being gone, it hadn't been replaced by love and affection. Instead, she felt a little indifference to and sore about the whole "love" idea.

_But at least I'm not lonely. Right?_

Right, because there was someone at the door. She let them in without asking who it was. Maybe she shouldn't have.

Bishop walked in, assessing her expression as soon as he set foot inside.

Lily's blank, ingenuine smile had returned to her face as soon as she saw his.

"Cut the crap," Bishop requested harshly when he spotted it.

"Cut what crap?" Lily asked.

"_That_. That robot crap. Cut it out."

Lily didn't respond. Bishop sighed. He started digging in one of his cloak's many pockets until he found what he was looking for. He held it up.

A vanilla flower.

He watched as her expression changed to bewilderment, uncertainty. "That's...a vanilla flower. The kind that only blooms for one day." The reverie made her afflicted.

Bishop nodded.

Lily blinked. "How did you get another one?"

"I searched," was all he said. Truthfully, it had been a daunting task, but he finally found another one while he was out in the woods. Lily was visibly speechless, and Bishop smirked. _That's an improvement. _At least she wasn't babbling robotic nonsense.

He approached her very slowly, looking into her face as his proximity neared. "Here."

Lily looked conflicted. One moment, her expression was appreciative, the next, it was wary, and still the next, it was neutral. She didn't take it.

"Fine. Then I'll eat it," he said, bringing it up toward his mouth.

"No-I-never-said–" Lily started, picking it tenderly but quickly from his hand. Bishop grinned.

She pulled off one of the petals slowly, as if tasting the memories associated with it, trying to decide whether they were pleasant or not. Bishop was watching her every move.

She put it into her mouth, placing it directly on her tongue in preparation for the incredible amount of sweetness she remembered. As soon as it hit her, her eyes began to close in ecstasy. "Mmm..." she espoused softly. Her memory had done the flower no justice. When the taste was gone and she came back to her senses, though, her brief escape from reality embarrassed her.

"I...um..."

Bishop hugged her.

Lily's eyes grew wide. "Bishop?" she questioned.

"Finally, you're showing some personality again."

"Um..." She wasn't sure how to interpret his arms being around her again. Was she okay with this? Did it feel good? Or was he "overstepping his bounds" too?

Seeming not to care, Bishop held her fast.

After a few moments of silence, he let it out despite his inflated ego: "I didn't mean for you to see that, Lily."

_Bishop?_ she thought. This tenderness, this guilt was unexpected. Knowing that these words from Bishop were as good as another person's apology, Lily couldn't bring herself to feel mad in that moment.

And he _was_ holding her awfully warmly...

Bishop pulled his face back to look into her eyes.

"Are you okay?" His amber eyes actually radiated what appeared to be true concern, at least at a glance.

Lily couldn't help it. She blushed, and all of her emotions came rushing back in one fell swoop. In response to all of these sudden feelings filling her to the brim, she covered her face with both hands, vanilla flower intact.

Bishop smiled. He witnessed her whole aspect change and, sensing a good opportunity to take advantage of, he took one of her hands away from her face to touch his nose to her forehead.

She opened her eyes without removing her hands, and he could see the color on her face still there. When he wouldn't stop staring, she whined, "Bishopp..."

"Do you like this that much?" he asked, amused. When she didn't answer, Bishop leaned close and put his face against her cheek. Lily put her hands down but, not knowing where to put them, defaulted to grabbing onto his cloak.

As if encouraging her to keep going, Bishop pulled off his gloves one by one and cast them on the floor, beginning to run his fingers slowly through her hair.

"Don't tell me you're getting sentimental," Lily teased, her playful personality with him gradually falling back into place bit by bit.

"The sense of touch is definitely the best," Bishop explained simply. "Don't need to be sentimental to enjoy this." He continued stroking her hair, and as he did so, slowly backed up to the wall with her. When his back was against it, he kept sifting her locks through his fingers.

Lily leaned into his embrace and fell silent. As the minutes wore on, as did Bishop's caresses, Lily actually felt herself about to sob. Before long, her shoulders started heaving, lightly at first, then harder. The ranger pulled back and looked at her. As soon as she caught his eye, though, she burst into tears. Bishop was startled. "Lily?"

She tried to talk through her tears, but it wasn't working, so she gave up and just cried against his chest. He tightened his grasp on her and rested his head against hers.

Lily continued sobbing for awhile before regaining some of her voice. "I just feel so...so..."

The ranger's lips pursed. "You make sense, Lily," he suddenly and quietly reassured her as he stared at the wall ahead through his lashes. To this, she pulled back again from him and searched his eyes. How did he read her like that?

Bishop cupped her chin in his fingers, but didn't say anything. Her crying had ceased, at least temporarily, and his eyes traced over the wet spots beneath hers.

Seeing him look at her like that made Lily realize how much she wanted his touch, his warmth, again. In an emotionally-charged moment, she touched her nose to his and stared back at him. His amber eyes were intensely focused, and they seemed to see right through her, even though she was being complicated.

A few more seconds passed. "If you even care, I'm not dueling the paladin anymore," Bishop then said softly. He had realized how little it would mean to him to beat Casavir in a controlled environment. This had hit him especially hard when Lily was lying sick in bed and wouldn't even be around to see it. Besides, he knew it wouldn't change anything.

Lily looked at him, struck speechless. "Why not?" she managed.

"Don't be so disappointed," he teased, amused at her surprise.

"I'm not, that's just..." Lily tried to think of a word. "...very...civil of you."

Bishop gave a genuine, amused laugh. For the first time, the elf witnessed him open his mouth wide and laugh with traces of a smile. He didn't even bother denying her friendly accusation.

Lily returned his laugh with a chuckle. It was highly contagious, and very rare – both so much so that her reformed sadness began to fade once more.

"What changed your mind?" she questioned. Without even waiting an answer, she huddled close in his arms again to hear his reply. She had been too far away from him for too long, in mentality and physicality, to relinquish the opportunity now when she may have an excuse to be close to him.

"It'd take longer to get this damned journey over with if I knocked him out," he answered. A fitting, but very immodest, reply. Not to say he was known for his modesty.

They spent the next minute in silence, Bishop growing fond of Lily's present desire for attention.

"Bishop, I..." the elf started, but already she wasn't sure how to finish. "I'm...sorry for acting like that. I had no business being upset."

Bishop gave her a look of disbelief. Despite her conflicted thoughts, Lily almost laughed. "Don't look at me like that," she said quietly.

"Then don't be a moron."

Lily bit her lip. Bishop greatly appreciated how she looked when she did.

"I'm weird, aren't I?"

"Completely."

"Then why do you tolerate me?" she asked teasingly.

"Haven't figured that one out yet, ladyship."

She slapped his arm, gasping in pretend horror, and he grinned.

In her other hand, she suddenly spotted the vanilla flower. As soon as she did, she gave Bishop a sympathetic, appreciative look once more and brought it close to her face to smell it. She closed her eyes as the fragrance filled her whole being.

"Oh, Bishop," she sighed airily. "I want to go back out into the woods."

Bishop's face grew instantly grave at the mere thought. "No."

"Why not?" Lily demanded, though she felt she already knew what he would say.

"You haven't even healed yet," the ranger pointed out, gesturing to her still-abnormal skin color.

Lily huffed, but she knew he was right. "All right," she said, easily defeated just this once.

Sensing her disappointment, Bishop added, "The woods aren't going anywhere. Just wait a bit." The elf nodded.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted their time together. They looked at each other.

"Um... Go over there," Lily suggested, pointing to the area behind her bed.

"Not a chance, ladyship. There's not a single creature worth hiding from in these stone walls."

Biting her lip again, Lily considered for a moment. "Well...alright..." She opened the door.

"Lily!" a druid dressed in green abruptly greeted her. "I just wanted to see if you were al–"

The druid caught sight of the ranger behind Lily, and immediately, she looked hurt, as well as unsure of what to do next.

"Elanee," Bishop whispered darkly under his breath.

"Uh, well, I wanted to... Come and see if you were okay," Elanee explained, trying to keep a straight face. When her eyes flitted back to Bishop, though, she noticed his gloves were missing. The druid exhaled sharply, foiling all pretense of being unaffected. _Why __**else**__ would he take his gloves off?_

The whole time, Lily had been staring blankly at Elanee. She hadn't even spoken yet, was still digesting how to react to this unexpected visit. The two women had no idea how to respond to one another and were locked in an intense staring contest. They weren't hostile, just entirely uncomfortable.

Bishop wanted to get rid of the druid's influence as quickly as possible to keep Lily from regressing back into the way she had been just that very morning. He squeezed out the door and said "Come on" to Elanee, snapping the druid out of her stare. He didn't forcibly remove her, but he didn't have to; she muttered a "Sorry" and left thereafter of her own accord.

When she was gone, Bishop returned to Lily, taking the position Elanee had just left immediately outside the door. "Lily..." he said, analyzing her to see how she was taking it. As he expected, she looked a little blank again. Elanee's arrival had been the _last_ thing he needed right then, just when Lily had gotten mostly back to normal.

"I'll be fine, Bishop. I just want to be alone for awhile. Good night," she said, closing the door softly.

Bishop sighed in frustration, but left her alone without objecting.


	87. Chapter 87

* 87 * 3/8/13, 3/9/13

Lily awoke the next morning initially feeling divided. She knew Elanee hadn't meant to stir anything up and she wasn't trying to be difficult, but seeing the two of them again like that made a part of her turn off her emotions.

The sun elf sighed and rolled over to her left to stretch. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the vanilla flower she had placed by her bed the night before.

She stared at it, and she felt a smile returning to her face.

"I love vanilla," she said simply, plucking one of its petals and biting into it. She closed her eyes once more and chewed languorously slowly, savoring every taste and tiny sensation it had to offer.

Lily felt so pleased in every limb of her body. The end of the previous night may have been a little uncomfortable, but she had gotten quite a lot of attention from Casavir and Bishop the day before. She found herself drowning in the pleasant memories and sensations for a few minutes.

In a good mood now, and already regaining her usual mentality, Lily left the flower by her bedside, bounced to her feet, and started walking to the door before she spotted Bishop's gloves on the ground. She didn't let herself feel weird again this time. She picked up the gloves and put them over her shoulder as she walked outside of her room to the main hall.

And almost immediately bumped into a tall figure.

"Lily," it greeted her simply, warmly. Lily looked up.

"Duncan!" she cried happily. "It's so good to see you!"

"You too, Lily." He smiled.

"I have to admit, I didn't expect to see you here!"

"Bevil sent for me to take over for a plastered Sal at your Phoenix Tail Inn last night. I figured I'd come say hello before heading back to the Flagon."

The Sunken Flagon. That's where Lily had first met Bishop all those months ago. It seemed like such a short – yet such a long – time since they all had been at the Flagon. A lot had happened since then.

"I'm glad you did. It's really nice to see you." She gave him a hug and he returned it.

"I saw Daeghun outside in the courtyard. Been awhile since I've had a decent conversation with him in person. He wants to see you when you get a chance."

Lily pulled back from Duncan. "Really? My father's here? I'll have to pay him a visit, yeah. Can't say I was expecting that, either. Today is full of surprises!" she said enthusiastically.

Duncan was pleasantly surprised at her good mood after hearing about the situation from Bishop yesterday. This did not seem like a distraught, sullen Lily. Maybe something had happened since then that he didn't know about. When he drew back from the hug, he noticed a pair of gloves on Lily's shoulder. They indeed appeared to be Bishop's, though he had not an inkling as to why she had them.

"It's been great seeing everyone," he professed. "Some have changed, some haven't changed at all."

Duncan lowered his voice. "But between you and me, Lily, the ranger was out of sorts when I saw him yesterday. Seemed to feel guilty about something. If we're talking about surprises, that's an even bigger one for me than seeing Daeghun here."

He didn't want to say too much, but he wanted to put in a good word for Bishop.

Lily considered this. "Really? Hm."

"Mhm," he nodded. "I have to get going back to the Flagon, but I'm glad I got to see you before I left."

"I'm happy you stopped by! You're welcome anytime," she said as she gave him another quick hug.

"I'm sure I'll be back. Who knows, maybe it'll be soon." When they separated, he waved and left through the large Keep doors.

Lily saw a flash of black in the corner of her eye. She turned toward it and called, "Good morning, Casavir!"

Casavir had been heading to the dining hall, but now stopped and faced the sudden voice. "Good morning, my la–...Lily," he responded. Old habits die hard.

Lily chuckled. "Guess what?" she said, approaching him.

"What is it?"

"You're supposed to guess," Lily complained, mock angry.

"Um," the paladin answered inelegantly, unsure of what to guess. "You are hungry."

Lily doubled over in laughter at his simple guess. "Wow, thank you for the revealing insight, Casavir," she managed through her giggles. Casavir grinned.

"Nope," she said finally, recovering. "Well, yes, but no, that's not what I meant. My father's here and I figured he could join us for breakfast. I was just about to go get him."

The paladin looked surprised. "Your father?" He straightened at this. That was rather sudden. Meeting her father struck him as a slightly intimidating affair, and he wanted to give a good impression.

"Well, my adoptive father."

Casavir mulled over this. He didn't know she was adopted. He wondered why, what the circumstances surrounding her real parents had been, but he didn't ask.

"Would you mind letting the others know? I'm going to go chat him up and then bring him inside the dining hall. It'd be lovely if you could have everyone waiting there by that time."

"Of course."

"Thanks!" she replied gratefully, giving him a peck on the cheek before exiting.

He grinned and looked after her, more than interested in finally meeting one of her kin.


	88. Chapter 88

* 88 * 3/9/13

Lily made her way into the courtyard to seek out her foster father. She didn't have to search long; he waited close by the tavern, reluctantly admiring his surroundings.

"Father!" she called when she drew near. The elf ranger turned at his daughter's voice and greeted her with a warm, welcoming gaze.

"It's nice to see you again, Lily." He eyed the courtyard again. "Incredible to think this is all yours. You've truly made a name for yourself."

"Thank you father," the sun elf returned happily.

Daeghun was as stiff as ever, even in their quaint meeting. "Oh, come here," Lily beckoned, giving him a hug. He hugged back, but put little emotion into it. She had come to be used to that by now, though.

"How are you? You came back!" she said. Her father had been here earlier, a little after Shandra's death. He had told her the location of the Mere, but, as Lily spread the word around the party, had left just as quickly.

"I had some business to attend to," he stated, still expressionless. Lily figured he was hiding something, but it was probably something insignificant. Sometimes he just didn't feel like giving details, and she wasn't going to press him, like always. "How have your friends been treating you?"

"Very well, father. I usually keep the same group with me on missions: Khelgar, Casavir, Bishop, and Qara, though sometimes Qara and Neeshka trade spots. The rest like to keep to themselves, hanging around in the courtyard or library or tinkering in the Keep basement." She thought about whether she should give him more details. It was hard to tell with her father; sometimes he wanted more details, sometimes he didn't, but no matter which it was, he always kept the same face.

She decided to continue anyway. "Khelgar and Casavir are fantastic in the front ranks. They work really well together and their teamwork lets Qara and I cast without getting hurt. Bishop is a ranger, like you, and he prefers bows to swords, though sometimes he switches. And Casavir even takes care of me outside of combat," she added as a spur-of-the-moment, semi-unrelated afterthought, but immediately thought she shouldn't have and gave a sheepish grin.

"It's good to hear you have a loyal group of friends, Lily." Despite the tender sentiment, his face was yet blank. Lily smiled nonetheless.

Then, Daeghun's expression did change, to a frown. "Is something wrong?" his daughter asked.

"Who is this?" her father inquired, gesturing to someone behind her. Lily whirled around and saw Bishop making his way toward them.

"Oh, good morning, Bishop,"she greeted. She wondered why he had approached them.

"Hey," he greeted, optimistic that she was still talking to him rather normally. He then focused his attention on Daeghun. "Who's this?"

"He just asked that about you," Lily replied spiritedly. "This is my father."

"Oh. Your father?" Bishop looked dumbfounded. He hadn't borne witness to Daeghun's earlier appearance and thus didn't recognize him, the elf he had heard a fair deal about from Duncan. He gave the fellow ranger a nod in greeting.

"Quite a woman you raised," Bishop commented. Lily almost hit him, not taking it as a compliment.

"Yes, she's quite the girl. Hard to imagine everything within these walls is hers now."

Lily gave the Keep's fortifications a once-over, admiring them, but thinking that a little more work could probably be done. She made a mental note to consult with Veedle later. Then, she turned to the human ranger. "Why'd you come over here, Bishop?" the she asked.

Bishop cleared his throat, clearly not having expected this man to be her father when he first approached. "Well, I didn't recognize him, so..." He was going to say "I wanted to find out who this bastard hugging you was," but he refrained, thinking it a coarse idea to spout _that_ much truth.

"_And_ you have my gloves," he pointed out, taking them off her shoulder.

"Oh!" Lily laughed. "Oops, I forgot they were there." Daeghun raised an eyebrow.

Lily didn't expect the two to get along or anything of the sort, so she was greatly surprised when Bishop asked Daeghun a question.

"So you're a ranger too, huh?"

"I am," Lily's father said plainly. He had no inclination to regale Bishop with tales of his past adventures, and thus said no more.

"He's just being modest. He's absolutely fantastic with a bow," his daughter gushed. "In fact, he's even known as the finest archer in the region."

"That doesn't say much, Lily, now that West Harbor's population has been torn asunder again."

Lily shut up, embarrassed. But Bishop took it to heart nonetheless.

"She probably meant it was true even before...the attack." The human ranger tilted his head. "That good, huh?"

"I suppose."

Lily regained her voice in the following moments of silence. "Father, we were all just about to eat. Come join us."

"I don't know that I should. I'm not fond of big gatherings."

"Come on, pleeaase? I'd really enjoy it." Lily implored him with round, green irises.

"Well..." Daeghun sensed her eagerness and sighed. "All right." Hopefully it wouldn't be too terrifying.

Lily smiled. "Great! The dining hall is off the west wing inside of the Keep." She motioned for him to follow, and both rangers did.


	89. Chapter 89

* 89 * 3/9/13, 3/10/13

Lily and her small party reentered the Keep, veering off to the left to come upon the dining hall. Bishop went in early to avoid being part of the grand spectacle when they walked in. Sure enough, everyone was already sitting around the table, only waiting on them before stuffing their mouths. Lily saw that Khelgar had cheated and taken an early bite out of his chicken, but that was no shocker. She _was_ shocked, however, to see Duncan there.

Duncan winked at her. "Casavir caught me chatting with Pentin right when I was about to leave. I just couldn't miss this."

Lily smiled, happy to have everyone here. "Everyone, this is Daeghun Farlong, my adoptive father. He's the only real father I've ever had, and for that I love him."

The group exchanged glances at first, none of them having known that Lily was adopted before today.

Daeghun nodded weakly among the party's welcoming expressions, having lost his voice. He wasn't used to being the center of so much attention.

Lily looked at the plentiful bounty before her. The cooks must've had a fit over preparing so much food in a single morning; there were now 12 heads in the dining hall, and enough food on the long, full table to feed them all twice over.

"Sit down by me over here, father," Lily offered, going to take her seat at the head of the table, her father right by her side. Casavir sat just to the other side of Daeghun, and he immediately offered his hand to the elf.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, sir; truly an honor," the paladin greeted earnestly and politely.

Daeghun shook his hand firmly, much more comfortable now that eleven pairs of eyes weren't focused on him. "You must be Casavir."

"I am," the paladin answered, rather taken off guard. "Pardon me, sir, but how have you heard of me?"

"Lily spoke very highly of a Casavir outside of the fortress just now. I can only assume you are whom she spoke of, given your manners." Despite the positive wording, the elf's face was devoid of any such emotion.

Casavir grinned uncontrollably at this and adroitly turned his face away to hide any color that came to it from Lily and her father. Daeghun eyed him curiously.

Lily had been focusing on making faces back and forth with Grobnar to her right and now called Daeghun's attention. "Father, look at this," she said, taking out her communication mirror and setting it on the table before him. "It's an enchanted mirror that lets me talk to Grobnar," she explained, gesturing to the rock gnome sitting across from him. Grobnar beamed at the good word being put in about him.

Casavir gave the mirror a once-over. _That must have been what he gave Lily in the basement that day._

"That sounds very useful, Lily. A nice tool to have if you're ever lost in the forest somewhere."

"Eheheh..." Lily nodded nervously, scratching her cheek with a finger. Neither Casavir nor Grobnar said anything.

Everyone else had already begun eating and the four of them now joined in. A plate of fish had been placed closest to Lily, but she quickly exchanged it for the plate of beef right behind it. Daeghun let out an amused breath.

"What?" Lily asked, talking while chewing a big bite of the delicious meat.

"You still do that."

Lily continued chewing. "I hate fish, you know that."

Casavir looked over at her plate, then back at his. He had taken some fish, though only a few bites' worth. He didn't know Lily couldn't stand it. The paladin kept this in mind a few seconds longer so it became stored in his long-term memory, then continued eating.

Bishop smirked from the other side of Grobnar and Duncan. He could perhaps use her dislike of fish to his advantage at a later date. He imagined waking her up by throwing one at her, curious to see whether she'd try to catch it or ineptly try to dodge it.

"Isn't there any fish you can tolerate, Lily?" Grobnar asked, having piled plenty of fish onto his own plate.

"Um. Salmon, sometimes. And tuna. Tuna's actually pretty good. But it's usually the smell and texture that gets me, not the taste."

"Oh," Grobnar replied. Shrugging, he started digging into his flounder.

Elanee saw an opportunity in this topic. "Lily, can I give you something?" she called from Casavir's left.

Lily blinked, catching the other elf's eyes. "Sure," she said, not wanting to be rude. She had no clue what it could be, though, and she admittedly felt a little apprehensive.

Bishop growled. He wanted Elanee to stay the hell away from Lily. He glowered at her on her way to the head of the table, but the druid paid him no attention.

Elanee reached Lily and put a box in the dumbfounded elf's hands. She looked up at the druid, as if not sure whether she was allowed to open it.

"Go ahead," Elanee urged.

All eyes were on Lily now. She gulped and opened the box slowly, having no idea what it could be, good or bad. When she looked inside and caught a glimpse of what it was, Lily dropped all of her negativity about it.

"No. You didn't," she said in bemused disbelief, but she was smiling. Though this baffled the others, Elanee grinned.

Lily pulled whatever it was out and brandished it to everyone. "She got me chocolate, everyone! Elanee got me chocolate!" she declared with a big smile. "Come here!" she said, giving Elanee a hug. The other elf was starkly shocked at Lily's reaction, and was only too happy to return her hug.

"Thank you, Elanee. That was so lovely of you."

"Of course, Lily," the druid replied, going back to her seat to sit down.

Bishop was completely baffled. He stared gaping at Lily, wonder what the hell just happened. Was she okay with Elanee now?

The gift-opening somehow cut through Daeghun's emotional fortress, and he had the urge to tease Lily. "Mind if I have some of that, Lily?" he said, instantaneously reaching for her chocolate.

"No!" she said, tearing it away. She smiled, and Daeghun laughed.

Casavir was just as confused as the rest of them. "My lady?"

Lily's smile was positively beaming. "I love chocolate. Love, love, _love_," she enthused, swaying back and forth each time she said the word. "There is not a more pleasant taste on this earth." She thought for a moment. "Well...except maybe vanilla." She winked at Bishop and, at first, he raised his eyebrows in astonishment. Then, he winked back, flashing a flirty smirk at her that made her blush. But still she held his gaze. Bishop's smirk didn't falter, not even for a second, as his eyes stayed locked on hers for several moments. When his intense look of amber finally made her smile shyly and look away, he grinned, still staring. Except for Casavir, everyone noticed the exchange, but said nothing. Casavir had been focused on the box of chocolate, seeming to be lost in thought.

"When Lily was little and had her first taste of it, she was _beside_ herself," Daeghun started, bringing the table's attention back to the chocolate. "It's all she would ever ask for for any holidays from that day forth," he explained, cracking a very tiny smirk.

This made Elanee smile. She was happy her present was received so favorably and catered so specifically to Lily's interests. She looked to Bishop to see if her material apology meant anything to him, too, now that Lily didn't seem uncomfortable with her.

But she only got an amber-infused glare back. Elanee folded her arms and gave a mean look back. _What does he want from me?_

_What does she expect me to do? Give her a round of applause? _Bishop scowled in return.

He did find out that Lily loves chocolate from all that nonsense, though, something he could perhaps use to his advantage.

As Lily sank her teeth into her chocolate, the others got back to scarfing down their own meals. Waiting until most eyes were averted, Duncan, who sat to Grobnar's right and diagonally from Casavir, spoke to the paladin.

"So, Casavir, what do you think of Lily now?"

Despite their eyes being averted, several party members began eavesdropping on the very intriguing conversation while eating in silence.

Casavir gulped at the sudden pressure. He was very hesitant to respond, Lily sitting just two seats to his right, and with her father right next to him, even.

"She is..."

The world held still, waiting with bated breath.

Lily wasn't listening in, still marveling at the taste of her chocolate. But when she caught him staring at her, wordless, she smiled at him, partly encouraged by the chocolate melting on her tongue.

"...Incredible..." he finally finished breathlessly, his every faculty weakened by her smile.

He was shocked at his own words and looked down shamefully at his plate, not having planned on punctuating that sentence with so much heartfelt emotion.

Everyone that had listened in now knew. They knew it.

They knew that Casavir was completely in love with Lily.

Completely, and unequivocally. They had known for quite awhile that he was attracted to their Leader. They had even suspected that he had an undeniable weakness for her. But in that moment, as the paladin had let Lily's smile fill his entire being with joy, they could feel the love exuded from him, as if the tendrils of a raging flame reached out and touched them all for a lingering moment, only to be dispelled when he looked away from his object of affection.

Casavir could not stop hiding his face from the others. Despite his unwieldy discomposure, he refused to leave the table, not with such a large gathering there, and especially not with Lily's father sitting right next to him. Obliging him, everyone looked away, including Duncan himself.

Duncan was sorry he had asked, putting Casavir on the spot like that, but the paladin had misinterpreted his question. Bishop had let slip at the inn that Lily had been in an unusual state as of late, and he had simply wanted to know if Lily seemed back to normal in Casavir's eyes, knowing from past experience that the loyal paladin would likely be the most worried at her altered personage. He made a mental note to word his curiosities better next time.

If he was being honest, though, it seemed like Casavir had _wanted_ to let that information out for quite awhile now, but perhaps had no one he felt would be appropriate to tell. The emotions that had rushed to his face had been sudden and looked rather overpowering, like a ticking time bomb billowing from his lips. Duncan wondered if the paladin ever shared his woes with anyone, even Lily herself. He had obviously not told Lily about his feelings, given his reaction to his own words. Duncan imagined that the stiff warrior was one to hold in his emotions and downplay them at every moment, perhaps feeling they would interfere with any situation.

Duncan eyed Casavir, then cast a glance at Bishop. The ranger had his arms folded and had stopped eating, seemingly having lost his appetite from the paladin's displeasing outburst.

_I see... So there's more to their rivalry, huh? Here was me thinking it was just a stark difference in ideals,_the fighter barkeeper mused. _I wonder, does Lily even know?_

Given the severity of what the group had just witnessed, Lily's next comment seemed nothing short of downright bubbleheaded. "What do you think about the food, father?"

"I haven't had spiced meat in awhile," he replied, glad to take some pressure off of poor Casavir. Seeing the you-didn't-answer-my-question look on his daughter's face, he rethought his response. "It's not bad," he allowed.

At the other end of the table, Neeshka was now bopping Khelgar on his bald head with a turkey leg. Khelgar, having endured this for several minutes, finally snapped, his cheeks flushed with annoyance. "Stupid tiefling! Stop it!" The thief only cackled in response.

Qara glared and pointed at them with a chicken wing. "Cut it out. You're embarrassing yourselves," she said, popping the wing into her mouth. Neeshka stuck her tongue out, and Qara put on her you-wanna-go? face.

Witnessing their antics, Daeghun felt a little nostalgic for his own youth. He had been an adventurer, a pretty good one at that, which is how he met Lily's mother. Her mother and his wife had been killed in the first attack on West Harbor, and those extraordinary adventures had come to an abrupt end. Before that, however, the three of them had had a good meal or two together which consisted of similar bickering and merrymaking. The elf ranger gave a halfhearted smile at the bittersweet memories.

"Whew!" Lily exclaimed. "I'm stuffed! That was marvelous," she declared, leaning back in her chair and settling her hand on her stomach.

Bishop stopped eating awhile ago, and Casavir had finished around the same time. On their portion of the table, which included Zhjaeve, Ammon, Duncan, and Sand, most were finished. Over by Khelgar, however, was a different story. Neeshka, Khelgar, and Qara seemed more content to play and/or fight with their food than eat it, though the dwarf himself did plenty of both.

Lily took in the wistful visage of her father. "Thank you for joining us, father. Really. It was a new experience. In a good way," she added.

"It was a pleasure." He really had enjoyed himself, despite the large crowd.

Lily stood up, signaling the end of the main event of the big breakfast. Her father followed suit, having left barely a crumb on his plate, a firm believer in eating all one takes. He noticed his daughter had followed the same principle.

"I should be going now," he said.

Lily nodded. "Let me walk you out."


	90. Chapter 90 - T

* 90 * 3/9/13, 3/10/13

The two of them made their way to the courtyard by themselves, but were soon joined by Bishop.

"Bishop?" Lily questioned. Maybe he just wanted to say goodbye, but even that seemed out of character for the moody ranger.

Bishop ignored Lily. "It was nice to meet you," he declared with a haughty air to Daeghun.

Lily was shocked. _At the very least, he gets points for being thorough, but he could knock his attitude down a few notches, _she thought.

"You as well," returned Daeghun simply, silently considering what he witnessed between the two at the dinner table. Bishop nodded.

Watching this was too weird for the elf. "Bishop...I didn't know you had manners!" Lily commented, clutching her hand to her mouth to keep from laughing.

Bishop almost scowled. Instead, he looked at her and said in a low voice, "Lily..." to which the silly elf only doubled over in laughter.

Daeghun watched, contemplative. They at the very least bickered as if there was something more going on between them, but Lily had said nothing of this ranger.

Bishop refocused on Daeghun. "We should have a match sometime, see who can aim best at the farthest distance," he offered.

Daeghun actually almost smiled at this suggestion. Oh, how he missed his early days. He barely ever went out hunting anymore. "Perhaps we shall," he answered. Only time would tell. "For now, I'll take my leave. Take care, Lily," he said, nodding at his daughter.

Lily said "Bye!" but wasn't concentrating on Daeghun. She was still staring flabbergasted at Bishop.

"That was rather...different of you."

Bishop shrugged. "Does 'different' bother you?"

Lily replied "No," and as soon as she did, Bishop reached up and pinched her cheek softly. Lily, surprised, pushed him lightly on the chest, but as soon as she looked into his eyes, she regretted it. He had the most daring, _go-ahead-and-try-me_ look staining his striking features, complete with a cocky smirk. Sensing a challenge, though, and feeling playful, she pushed him again.

Bad idea.

Bishop quickly caught her wrist in his hand and slid behind her in one smooth motion, grabbing hold of her other arm with his free one. He repositioned himself to lock her arms tightly in his, then used his free hands to start tickling her sides.

"Wha – No! No, no, please, Bishop!" she wailed, desperately struggling to get away. Not able to take his assault in lip-trembling silence for more than a few seconds, she burst out in tearful laughter. "Bishopp! I'm sorry!" she cried, trying to wrench herself from his grip again.

"What was that, ladyship? I couldn't hear you over your hysterical laughter." He was clearly enjoying himself.

This only made the elf struggle harder. Lily growled weakly at his teasing tone, her muscles spasming like crazy. "Bishop!" she demanded forcibly, trying to put all her strength into her voice since it was obviously doing her limbs no good.

"Is that a commanding tone, ladyship? Would hate to think what would happen to me if I didn't listen."

"Everyone can see us," Lily pleaded quietly between uncontrollable giggles, incredibly embarrassed and blushing several shades of red as she noticed more faces turn their way.

"You should have thought about that more before testing me."

She tried pulling herself in every direction, but the ranger's powerful grasp on her didn't give for even a second. "All right, all right! I give in, you win," she said, her breath heavy with laughter by now. "You're too strong for me." As if trying to confirm whether this was still true, she tried to tug herself free one last time before giving up.

For some reason, her last words piqued Bishop's interest, and while he stopped tickling her, he held his arms still fastened around hers. Lily's body was fully riled up, with a slight tint of red distributed evenly throughout. "Let me go," she pleaded. Bishop instead looked over her shoulder and down at her breasts, admiring the view from his convenient angle. He pushed her arms closer together, deepening the valley of her cleavage in the process.

Lily began struggling again. "Bishop, you're such a pervert," she accused.

The ranger smirked. "If you just showed me, I wouldn't have to do this to you," he replied friskily.

"H-here?" she muttered in a rush. "Didn't you already see by the stream?" she reminded him, bashful at the memory.

"Not enough, no."

"Don't you think you're just a _little_ too picky?" she inquired, now frantic. If people hadn't been looking their way before, they were now.

"No, I think your skin is just a little too sensitive for your own good," he said with his same, cocky smirk. Feeling many pairs of eyes on him, he continued, "Think you can be a good girl now?"

"Yes," she whispered, humiliated. She didn't even bark back at his derogatory title for her.

"Good," he said as he finally let her go. The sun elf immediately began fixing her clothes; they had gotten lopsided from all the movement.

"Now everyone out here knows what to do to you if you misbehave," Bishop said in mock threat, a glint in his eye.

"Tickle me?" Lily asked incredulously, but without looking him in the eye.

"No. Get me to come do it." He grinned. When she didn't respond, he continued, "Are you mad?"

"No... Just a little...well, _really_ embarrassed..." she explained, still not looking at him.

Her head felt like it was going to explode if she endured this whole situation any longer. She mumbled an "Excuse me" and ran back off to the Keep.


	91. Chapter 91

* 91 * 3/10/13

Casavir would have absolutely murdered Bishop for what he just did, pressuring Lily to reveal her breasts in front of everyone in the courtyard and holding her body against his as a hostage.

Thankfully for the ranger's healing back muscles, Casavir exited the Keep only after their encounter was finished and did not see them. The paladin was preoccupied anyway, angry with himself for not having left sooner. How could he have let Lily's father leave without even bidding him a proper goodbye?

Luckily for him, however, Daeghun was in no particular rush to get back. Casavir needed only walk to the farmland just outside the courtyard to find the elf ranger silently observing the grazing animals, hands held habitually behind his back.

"Sir!" Casavir didn't know what else to call him.

Daeghun turned, a faraway expression on his face. "Casavir."

"I am sorry I did not say this sooner. I wish to bid you farewell properly."

"There is no need for such proclivities."

_So he is not the regal type,_ Casavir thought. He was so used to calling Lily by an honorable title that her family's rather modest origins of West Harbor had slipped his mind.

"My daughter is privileged to have a knight like you at her side," Daeghun declared.

"Sir?" Casavir asked. He hadn't expected a comment like that so suddenly, and wondered what the elf meant.

Daeghun ignored the title. "She can be a handful, and at times gets herself into trouble because of it. It is advisable for her to have a second mind at such times to help her make decisions."

Casavir nodded. Lily was indeed headstrong about some things, yet was still a cunning diplomat. Her decisions in combat were completely sound, though, as were most of her personal decisions, as far as he could tell from experience in living under the same roof.

_Perhaps I have not grown close enough to her to see that side of her,_ he thought with a little dismay. The closest incident he could think of as an example of what Daeghun mentioned was...

And as soon as he thought about it, the paladin's face grew hot. He was relieved to then have his thoughts interrupted by the elf ranger in front of him.

"My apologies for the personal question, but has my daughter returned your affections?"

Casavir's eyes shot wide and his whole face caught on fire. He felt lain bare. "H–...How?"

"You're not entirely subtle," Daeghun deadpanned.

"Erh..." Casavir responded faintly, for once, not sounding so eloquent.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

The paladin cleared his throat. "She has..." He tried to keep more heat from building above his neck as he once again thought back to kissing Lily. "...shown me she appreciates me."

"I see. She probably doesn't know yet," Daeghun thought aloud.

"Forgive me, sir, but she may. If you have figured it out so quickly, I doubt it is a secret to her." This possibility made Casavir feel completely lost, both in how to think and how to act. Lily _did_ probably know. What did that mean for him?

But Daeghun remained firm in regards to his daughter's tendencies. "Lily lives in her own world. There's a good chance she missed picking up on that information."

"As for advice, I cannot offer you much as I don't know much about her emotionally, both because I have never been the type to be that way, and because she does not always tell me what is on her mind." Daeghun sighed. "My own daughter is an enigma to me," he said, shaking his head.

Casavir gave the man a sympathetic look, not knowing what to say in response to this reflective statement, one that was clearly not directed to him. But the elf snapped out of his reverie. He didn't seem to want to be there any longer. "If you ever require any assistance, you know where to find me."

Casavir nodded. "I thank you for the kind offer, sir. Farewell."

"Goodbye," Daeghun returned, continuing down the path to the south. Then, he stopped in his tracks and turned around one more time.

"And please, Casavir, call me Daeghun."


	92. Chapter 92 - T

_**Ceye's note**__: I'm posting the chapters I'd normally post over the next few days – chapters 92 through 95 – today as I have an exam on Friday and I will be going dark to study for it. If you want to keep yourself going at the same pace with the story, read a chapter a day. I'll be back to a normal schedule on Saturday. Thanks for your understanding! =)_

_Also, to any Norwegians who may be reading this: Jeg skal bo i Norge fra 9. mai til 7. august. Jeg vil snakke litt med deg, så snakk til meg! ^-^_

...

* 92 * 3/11/13

Lily sat just beyond the door to the war room, having taken a liking to the oft-neglected space. She pored over the book she had been trying to read before Casavir had entered to confront her just yesterday. She didn't quite know what she was looking for, but the book had to have been written for some reason, right?

The sun elf swayed back and forth as she read, still feeling tingles all over her body from Bishop's recent...unusual treatment.

Lily, anxious now and growing bored from war theory, put her chin on her hand and continued daydreaming. She thought about going outside to the woods again, feeling the wind whip through her hair and the sun shine on her glossy skin. Lost in sweet memories of the forest, she craved the unrestricted feel of her hair brushing against her neck again, and decided to search for a hairband in of one of the bags that were lying around. Indeed, the war room was so abandoned as to be used as a storage area for the party's unused items. Normally this role would be filled by the basement, but that was surprisingly a pretty popular location amongst several team members.

Finding a band she deemed good enough, she began tying her hair up in a high ponytail, sitting back at the table. Her hair now fell to just below her breasts in the back, and she leisurely moved her head back and forth to brush her luxurious locks against the small of her back. Entertained, she had forgotten all about the book in front of her, swishing her head front and back...

In the corner of her eye as she moved her head, she spotted a shiny, full plate of armor. Lily stopped her dizzying motion and gave the man a wide smile. "Casavir!"

The paladin's heart beat faster at her tangible enthusiasm. "Lily," he greeted fondly.

She got out of her chair and approached the paladin. "I'm in a good mood," she spouted in glee. She truly was, though she didn't understand why. A very recent memory involving a strangely-acting moody ranger came to the forefront of her mind as if seeking to answer her, but she shoved it back in its place.

"Why are you back in your armor? Are we going somewhere?"

"There are no plans, my lady; it was only to meet your father," Casavir admitted. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked, eying her new ponytail. Her hair flitted around when she moved even in the slightest, brushing against where her skin was lain bare.

"More and more each day," she said with a smile. "My head is still a little confusing sometimes; I'll go ahead and blame it on the pneumonia."

Casavir wondered what she meant by that.

"Were you going back to your room? Can I join you?"

"Yes, and yes," the paladin replied. He was glad to see her so sprightly again. He walked her to the inside of his room and sat down at the table there. The table had two chairs and Lily was about to take the other and sit across from him when she stopped short.

"Actually, Casavir... Would you mind having a drink with me?"

Casavir raised an eyebrow. "It is rather early, my lady."

"I don't care much for conventions, to be honest. I was just going to have more of that wine we had that night we celebrated your return to health."

That got the paladin to smile. "And this time, we would celebrate your own health." He was keen on that idea.

Lily nodded excitedly. "I also just wanted an excuse to try more of that wine; it was really good, definitely better than the stuff my father gave me when I was young."

He raised a brow. "Your father gave you wine when you were young?"

"It wasn't wine...or at least, I don't think it was. It was some kind of alcohol, though. It tasted nothing like what I had with you, that's for sure. He made me try it so I wouldn't ever become a drunkard. I have to say, it worked; I've barely touched alcohol at all in my life until that recent night."

Lily spotted a glint in the paladin's eye that was remnant of true laughter. He was obviously amused by her story, so his abnegation disconcerted her.

_If he wants to laugh, why doesn't he just let it out? _she wondered.

"I really would like to taste that wine again, though. You don't have to join me if you don't want to; I just didn't want to drink alone."

"I will join you, my lady. I was simply wondering why you wished to do so so early, but you have preemptively answered that question."

Casavir got out of his seat and opened the door for her. "After you, my lady."

"Thank you, kind sir," she said, performing a mock curtsy. They walked to the beginning of the west wing before veering off in two separate directions.

"My lady?" Casavir inquired, having made his way toward the main hall.

"Oh, I forgot to mention I was planning on getting the drinks straight from the kitchen. They have enough ingredients in there for a few people."

"Who will be joining us?"

Lily beheld him timidly. "I was actually hoping it could be just you and me, if that's okay."

Her request dignified the paladin. "Of course, my lady."

The elf beamed at him, then grew shy again. "I was also hoping you could tell me the name of what we had that night."

Casavir chuckled at her unnecessary bashfulness when asking things of him. "The drink was a Lady Moon."

"Right," Lily nodded, committing it to memory. She entered the kitchen in short fashion and ordered two Lady Moons straight from the workers there.

_This time we'll see if I can hold myself together, considering it's not drugged, _she thought, picturing that memorable night with Bishop having gotten her her drink. As she found out later, though, it had hardly been out of the kindness of his own heart.

When the two drinks were procured, Lily handed one to Casavir. "Here you go."

"Thank you."

"Let's go to the dining room," the elf suggested. They did, and assumed two seats opposite each other, next to a plate of grapes left out on the table for anyone to pick from.

Lily eyed her bounty with a flash of excitement, taking a sip and immediately slumping a little in her seat.

"Ahh! That feels pretty good going down!"

Casavir took a drink as well, admiring the taste himself. He had always preferred red to white wine, mostly for the former's rich taste.

Lily prepared herself. "Okay, ready?"

The paladin looked at her quizzically.

"One, two, three, go!" she shouted, taking as big of a gulp of the wine as she could.

Casavir picked up on what she was doing only half a second after she'd already begun doing it. Despite that, he had easily drunk twice the amount she had, even having stopped at about the same time.

"How do you _do_ that?" she sniggered.

"I drink," he said almost asininely. Lily laughed, and she shook her head. Everyone was better at this game than she was.

"What's your favorite drink?" she asked, curious. "I don't know of many."

"Likely this, my lady. However, I do not drink often."

"I saw that. Even when you do, you're fully in control of yourself at all times. That's very...well, _you,_" she finished vaguely.

"What do you mean?"

"It's very like you to always be mindful of the state you're in, still being fully aware of your actions even when under the influence of drink."

Casavir looked pleased and took this as a compliment.

Then: "Have you ever had too much to drink?" The grin from just a moment ago abruptly disappeared from the paladin's now-frowning face.

"I'm sorry. Guess I shouldn'tve asked."

"No, it is all right."

Moments of silence ensued.

Lily re-articulated herself: "I don't mean to pry, Casavir, your business isn't mine. But...do you mind answering the question?" she inquired, pushing her influence over him.

The paladin sighed.

"Yes, I have."

Lily looked like she thought it best to bite her tongue, but she didn't. "When?"

"It was when I left Neverwinter, my lady."

"...What happened?"

Casavir felt uncomfortable answering these questions, but Lily's influence was high. He stared at his drink as if it held his utmost interest, not wanting to look her in the eye for the duration of this particular subject.

"I made a...rather considerable blunder."

Sensing his sudden emotional distance, Lily put a hand over his armored glove. Casavir lightened up the slightest bit.

Thinking of the relevant circumstances, he sighed again. He cast a brief but meaningful glance Lily's direction, just long enough to catch the incredibly curious spark in her eyes.

Deciding that he felt no desire to be dishonest to such eyes, he continued for her sake alone.

"I...murdered a man...my lady."


	93. Chapter 93

* 93 * 3/12/13

Lily clasped her free hand over her mouth.

That...was extreme. The news would normally not be surprising from any one of the other teammates. But for it to be coming from _Casavir_?

Casavir stiffened even more at this reaction. Seeing the downturn in his features, Lily quickly tried to mitigate her actions: "Forgive me, Casavir...I...just never would have thought."

_Well, that was terrible wording. I probably made it worse._

"I understand, my lady." But he said no more.

Lily pushed her influence nonetheless. "Casavir, I know this may be uncomfortable, but please tell me...what happened? How were you ever put in a situation like that?"

"He was my rival, my lady." Immediately, the paladin looked extremely uncomfortable.

"For what?"

The paladin grit his teeth, having predicted this was going to happen as soon as she asked about his drinking history. This was it, the moment that could foil his chances of being close with her. He either had to tell her the truth, or deal with the knowledge that he had lied to her – even as her sworn protector – for the rest of his years.

"For Lady Ophala's affections." As soon as he said it, he looked carefully out of the corner of his eye at her face. Utter shock. He pursed his lips at this; her reaction was admittedly fairly expected.

"Oh," Lily said, averting her eyes and almost sounding a little...confused. She knew the name Ophala. That was the owner of the Moonstone Mask, one of the women there who had been terribly shaken when one of the shards had been discovered to lie with Melia, a Mask entertainer.

Then she looked at him again, seemingly seeing him for the very first time. Something dawned on her in that second. "_Oh_," she repeated, louder and with more comprehension this time. Her tone was one of significance as her eyes grew wide, and she immediately removed her hand from the paladin's armor, as if struck. "I see."

Casavir did not fully understand her recoil. Surely she was shocked, but what was she thinking? He was desperate to know, for the mask on her face was painful to him.

The guilt now plaguing Lily nearly drowned her. "I'm...sorry, Casavir," she choked.

This utterance no less than completely discombobulated the paladin.

"For what, my lady?"

"For kissing you, the other day."

"Why...would you apologize for that?" his surprise was audible, but he could not help it. That was the absolute _last_ thing he wanted her to apologize for.

"It was sudden, and you never told me it was okay, and I just assumed..." Lily stopped. She didn't know _what_ she had assumed. That he was her knight, so it was okay to just kiss him like that? That he was completely devoid of any devotion to another woman?

"Do not apologize for it, my lady. There is no need," he reassured her with as convincing a tone he could possibly muster, reflecting on their mistakenly heated encounter, the occurrence of which had only served to prove both of their feelings of loneliness.

Lily sat silent for several minutes.

"What is wrong, my lady?" Casavir was growing anxious. He knew why what he had said bothered him, but why had it bothered her this much?

"If you'll excuse me, Casavir," she said, getting out of her seat with her glass of wine and abruptly exiting the dining hall, leaving Casavir with a forlorn expression on his uncomprehending face.


	94. Chapter 94

* 94 * 3/12/13, 3/13/13

Lily sat at a nearby pond, lost in thought.

Or completely lost in translation.

How could she be so stupid? Of course Casavir was taken; she should have seen it in his hesitation to touch her until she practically ordered him to.

And even still, without making sure of anything beforehand, she had taken advantage of him, making him do things to her using the fealty he had sworn to her as a strategic chess piece. She had commanded him to be unfaithful in the name of duty. She was devastated.

She felt ashamed, like she wanted to hide her face from the world for a few days and punish herself like a small child. She proceeded to drink the entirety of her leftover wine in the following minute, an impressive feat given how little she had been able to drink when actively trying to just minutes before with Casavir.

Staring off into the distance, she didn't notice even when metal-clad boots made their way toward her.

"My lady," came his voice, not wishing to interrupt her thoughts but also wishing for her attention.

She looked up at him.

"What has upset you?"

Lily slowly climbed to her feet. Her eyes washed over the man who had been so good to her, such a powerful symbol of righteousness and trust. And she had betrayed his trust, turning his loyalty against him.

"Casavir..." she started, flipping the name over her tongue.

"Yes, my lady?"

"You have been a wonderful knight to me."

He was taken back by the unexpected and ill-timed compliment. Still, he nodded his thanks.

"It is an honor, my lady."

"Please don't call me that anymore," she pleaded suddenly.

Casavir's demeanor altered as he was struck utterly bewildered. However, he said nothing as per her request.

Lily then looked him straight in the eye. "Casavir of Tyr, I hereby renounce your duties as a knight, and no longer wish for your sworn loyalty to me." Her words reflected the formality of the fealty he had sworn to her when she first returned from the attack on Castle Never. As soon as she had finished saying this, she resumed her place sitting by the edge of the pond, holding her knees.

The paladin's jaw had fallen. It was as if a hundred-tonne boulder had been thrown at him, and he was forced to react with far too little time. His back became stiff as a board to hear these words, each a powerful blow in their own right. He could barely muster a reply of any sort, let alone one that was coherent.

Lily had had to do it. Knowing what she knew now, she shuddered to think what she had asked this man to do for her. She didn't know if she could stand having him right beside her at all times after that.

"You are free to do as you please, whether you stay or leave, Sir Casavir."

"M..." he started, but caught himself. "Lily...what has happened? What have I done? Please, allow me to know this," he pleaded, made desperate at how she no longer referred to him as a familiar, a friend.

"You haven't done anything wrong. It's me who has wronged you. I wasn't thinking, I was just feeling."

"What do you mean, you have wronged me? You have done _nothing_ wrong," he said, almost exasperated. The emotions swirling around in his head were not pleasant in the slightest, and he was fiercely trying to fight them all off while retaining his level head with Lily.

"I have asked things of you that were completely improper, not to mention calloused. And I completely disregarded your situation in doing so." Lily wiped at what was possibly a wet trail on her face, but she was no longer facing Casavir, so he couldn't be sure.

"Lily, please, do _not_ worry about that night, I implore you." Casavir then reheard her words in his head and thought for a moment. "What do you mean, 'my situation'?"

"I'm so silly," she said sadly. "I assume the world revolves around me, and I accidentally pit people against one another."

Casavir had no idea what she was talking about. "Please, Lily. Tell me what you mean."

"I asked some...things of you, completely abandoning the common courtesy to ask if you were in love with someone."

The paladin's mind grew quiet. _But, I am. Why would that make her apologize?_

Then it hit him. It at last made sense: her dejection, and the renouncement. She thought he loved Ophala. She thought she had forced him to attend to her when his feelings lay with someone else. He didn't even know how to begin telling her that that was simply not true, was a complete misunderstanding in every sense of the word.

"Lily...it is not what you think."

Lily wondered how she had become this way, wondered when she had started disregarding the important details in others' lives to serve her own purposes, like sating her desire for desire.

When the beautiful, sad elf didn't respond, Casavir knelt down and drew near her. "I do not love Ophala. You have done me no disservice by your actions that night."

Still no response. She was lost in her own world, just as her father had claimed.

"Lily, listen to me!" he pleaded, frantic at her unresponsive state, knowing that with each second she blamed herself more. He grabbed her shoulders, albeit lightly, forcing her to turn his way.

Then, he kissed her.

Lily's eyes grew wide, and the pressure of Casavir's lips brought her back out of her daydream. "Casavir?" she mumbled softly, her voice muffled against his mouth. She was floored by his sudden, frantic determination to get her to wake up. Everything he had said in the past minute rushed through her acoustic memory in one swift movement, and she finally comprehended what he was trying to tell her.

_He doesn't love her?_ Part of her heart curiously leaped at this realization, a sensation that confused her – one she really wasn't expecting, to say the least. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back eagerly, savoring the feel of his lips, of his hands on her shoulders, and of his skin touching hers so warmly.

When they at last separated, Lily braved his icy blues. "Casavir," she began, still looking – and feeling – dejected. "I...didn't make you unfaithful to your lover?"

Casavir sighed heavily, largely in disbelief that she could even think that. "No. I do not...have a lover."

"Neither do I," Lily responded almost sadly. "But..." She pondered for a moment. "...you kiss me like one," she added thoughtfully. The relief in her eyes could not be understated. She had felt devastated that she could do such a thing to him, and finding out that that hadn't been the case lifted a heavy burden from her heart.

Casavir colored, greatly enjoying that comment. He had kissed her to bring her out of her daydream, but he had admittedly been more than willing to do so. Reminded of how he felt, he couldn't help but to cup her chin and nearly kiss her again, made suddenly even more desirous at her words that painted him as her lover.

"Lily...are you now free from guilt?"

Lily nodded. Then, she leaned her head forward and set it on his shoulder. "I'm so relieved I didn't do that to you."

Casavir held onto her, as if she was the key to ending world hunger, the answer to all of the universe's problems.

"Are you also free from guilt about...that night?" He needed to know she didn't regret it.

Lily rested her head snugly against his shoulder, staring at the ground and thinking. "I guess so."

"There is nothing to feel sorry for. You have not wronged me," he repeated, as he couldn't emphasize this enough. The last thing he wanted her to feel about that night was apologetic. Lily only nodded.

"My lady," he began, chancing the title. When he observed no ill effect, he continued, "I beseech you. Allow me to remain your knight," he implored. "I...find solace in being with you," he finished safely.

"I will." Now that her mind was clear, of course she wanted Casavir to stay her knight. Just thinking of what it would be like to actually have lost him, to actually have to distance herself because of something she'd done...

It made her want to stay in his arms forever.

"Casavir...may I request we go back to your room, so you can take your armor off and I can get a real hug?" She longed to feel his body warmth instead of the cold metal of his armor greeting her touches.

Her sudden longing drew him immediately to his feet. "Yes, my lady."


	95. Chapter 95

* 95 * 3/12/13, 3/13/13

It had been no more than ten minutes since Lily had finished the rest of her glass of wine outside, but she was starting to feel the effects quite vividly. As soon as she stood up to go back to the Keep, she almost hobbled on a foot from the sudden weight. She was nearly wobbling on her way to Casavir's room, but worked hard to keep herself upright in order to evade suspicion from any prying eyes that passed.

When the two reached the paladin's room, Lily expeditiously got herself into her chair again, the same one she had claimed earlier.

"Are you feeling all right, my lady?"

She nodded. "I feel good, actually," she granted, despite the alcohol confusing her body and balance.

As the paladin sat down, Lily was struck with a question, one that had been plaguing her mind for months now.

"How old are you, Casavir?"

Casavir was taken back by the unexpected question.

"36?"

And even more taken back by her almost spot-on estimate.

"I am 37."

"You definitely don't look it. I'd believe you were 34."

Casavir didn't know how to respond to such kind words. "Thank you, my lady." He was sorely tempted to ask her her own age, but, as a knight, he adhered to the adage to never ask a lady such questions.

But: "Go ahead. I know you want to."

Casavir sat motionless.

"Come on, ask," Lily offered.

He really did want to. Being an elf, Lily could be in nearly any age range looking the way she did, and he couldn't quite come up with a satisfying estimate for his mind to settle upon. "Very well...how old are you, my lady?" He felt strange, as if the words were spilling from another's lips and not his own.

"25."

Casavir gawked for a moment before catching himself and fixing his expression. Lily, however, had witnessed his lapse for long enough to make her laugh.

"What? Weren't expecting that?" she snickered slyly.

"No... I must admit, I thought you were at least as old as me."

"We do have kind of a long lifespan, don't we?" Lily commented, speaking about the elven race.

"Yes. It is hard to tell by looks alone. You look as beautiful and youthful as a young maiden, yet are as womanly and confident as one with much life experience."

Lily blushed at such a heartfelt and eloquent compliment. "Thank you, Casavir." She got out of her chair to lean forward and kiss his cheek over the table. "You have a way with words, my knight."

Casavir lo –

She kissed his other cheek now.

"Noble paladin," she finished leisurely.

When she sat down again, Casavir then got to his feet, divinely inspired by her attention and wishing to return it. He lifted her hand gently from the table, gazing first into her eyes. Then, he bent down to kiss it.

"My liege," he returned.

His actions, that title, made Lily's heart pound. The same could be said for Casavir. But to him, he was simply doing what one of his fealty to her should do.

Lily waved her hand at the name. "Whew. What a title," she said, tasting the title, trying it on in her head. "I'm not your queen."

"Are you not, my liege?"

Lily's gaze veered more and more off to the side of his face with his every utterance of such a honorable title for her. She couldn't make eye contact at all now.

"We're equals, Casavir."

"We are not, my lady."

"Wouldn't you at least feel better treating me like one?"

"I would not."

"Could you?"

"I could not."

"Why not?"

"Because you are not."

"Then what am I?"

Casavir held her gaze.

"You are beautiful, my lady."

For the past few minutes, Casavir had been holding her hand in his just above the table. Something about the presence in his eyes magnetically drew her to her feet, and, without even waiting for her word, he now took her other hand in his as well. He held both of them lightly, like she was frail, breakable. Lily didn't know whether she liked that, but she could definitely say it was different, and it wasn't unpleasant.

They gazed at each other patiently, attentively. Casavir's icy blues bore into her, and after a few seconds more, Lily shied away, taking her hands from his grasp and turning around as she moved a few shaky steps toward the wall.

"My lady?"

"You're so sweet to me sometimes," she said, making sure to keep her voice pleasant so he knew she wasn't offended or annoyed. She half-expected him to offer not to act in such a way toward her anymore if it made her uncomfortable.

But he did no such thing. Lily was actually quite surprised when he didn't. He chose instead to merely sit down once more, tracing a line down her long, golden-brown ponytail with his eyes.

His foreign and forward actions made her stomach feel fluttery. Before, Lily would have considered him protective; ambitious, but never assertive. Now, he was acting of an iron will, a desire to do what he wished rather than defer to the wishes of others. She soon realized she was grinning the more she thought on it. She had felt this feeling before.

"Casavir," Lily said, a sudden question having entered her mind. She turned to face him again. "What do you think about love?"

The paladin straightened. "My lady?" he asked, swallowing audibly at the change in subject.

"What's your opinion on love? How would you describe it?"

Casavir tried to filter out all the synonyms for "incredible" that swirled around his head to answer her question. Such a response would not only be forward, but exceedingly inelegant. What he did not count on, however, was for his face to betray all the anxiousness he felt at the object of his affections asking such a thing.

"Was that a bad question?"

"No," he said in a rush, catching her disappointed expression and wishing to make it disappear as quickly as possible. "I simply...do not know how to describe it, my lady."

But he steeled himself in the interest of giving her some form of an answer. "Love is many things... It ties into loyalty in many ways."

"You're very loyal, Casavir," Lily offered thoughtfully.

Casavir's head spun, thinking of all the things she could possibly mean by saying that.

"Tell me, as such a loyal person...what does loyalty mean to you?"

His mind was again as one. She had been simply making a point. He did have to clear his throat before continuing after such a...distracting statement, though.

"It signifies the utmost care and respect for doing that which will benefit the one to whom you have sworn yourself, whether comfortable or not."

"Have I made you uncomfortable?" Lily asked, looking into his eyes with her penetrating own.

"My lady, I am very comfortable around you. It would be a sin not to be, as you are whom I must protect."

"Don't you protect everyone?"

"I do not."

Lily felt like Casavir was keeping something back, but she didn't pry. She couldn't take his words seriously because of it, however, and thus chose to just change the subject.

"You said love is like loyalty. What is love to you, then?"

"Love...is a myriad of different things, different feelings," the paladin started.

"Like?" she probed gently.

Casavir had to look away to think clearly while not being distracted on such a subject by her imploring, wide, green eyes.

"It is wishing to be with someone when the sun is shining brightest, and also when the rain pours hardest. It is feeling whole with that person beside you."

Lily considered his thoughtful words.

But he wasn't finished: "It is not only accepting but being optimistic about that person's flaws, to hold onto them unconditionally despite seemingly irreconcilable differences. It is to cherish someone as if they were one with you rather than a separate being."

"And to laugh together with them about mistakes instead of feeling bad," Lily chimed in.

Casavir smiled and finally looked back at her, emboldened by her avid participation. "It is to get through trials and tribulations together."

"And to make love in the aftermath of what can feel like the end of the world," Lily added soulfully, passionately.

Lily and Casavir paused in their joint descriptions, taking several, long moments to take in fully the sight of one another. Their romantic words permeated the air, could still be heard in the other's head.

"You have a handsome smile, Casavir. You should show it more often."

The paladin smiled widely and uncontrollably at this, but had to fight back the overwhelming temptation to hide it. He was not used to displaying his emotions so poignantly for everyone to witness, and felt especially on display in front of Lily.

He also felt guilty for not telling the whole truth earlier, for not going into further detail about what he had meant in his heart. Casavir rose and approached her.

"My lady, I have said that I do not protect everyone..." he started.

Casavir recalled when he swore fealty to her, and her alone, just after she had acquired Crossroad Keep. Before that, he had indeed been more scattered in his motivation, had attempted to keep all of the group members safe.

But after finding out that Khelgar could take care of himself, Qara didn't wish for his help, and Bishop couldn't even stand the thought of him, these reasons, along with being very strongly drawn personally to their Leader, made good excuses for Casavir to begin to focus his power on one person and one person alone.

Lily. Sweet, beautiful Lily, with her intoxicating bright green eyes and long, flowing auburn hair. Lily, with her voice like music and her smile like the sun itself. Casavir looked at this wonderful creature, standing before him even now.

"I do not protect the group," he finally finished explaining. "I protect _you_, my lady."

At long last, he had confessed to her, and told her the truth. The truth about him staying so closely behind her in the marching order. The truth about him worrying for her safety more than anyone else's, even his own. About his desire to protect her and her alone.

Lily took in his words for several moments, moments that felt like aeons to the paladin. She appeared as if she was deciding something, mulling over a thought hard in her mind. Finally, she gazed back at him, locking her eyes on his and refusing to let his steal away again, until he answered her just one question.

"Casavir... Do you love me?"


	96. Chapter 96

_**Ceye's note**__: Hey everyone, I'm back! So back to your regularly scheduled programming. =)_

...

* 96 * 3/13/13, 3/14/13, 3/16/13, 3/24/13

It was as if all air had left the room.

Casavir sucked in a breath to try and remedy this. He had been struck speechless, her question a powerful blow to the very core of his being. He stood there, mouth agape, not knowing whether to speak, whether to move. He wasn't sure he even knew how to anymore.

He could not lie to her. He knew he couldn't.

"My lady... Lily, I..."

_Say it._

"...You are dear to me," he repeated. His voice broke.

_**Say it.**_

But when the paladin said no more, Lily hesitantly tried to fill in for him. "...And I'm your liege, right? And you wish to protect me?"

Casavir stopped his frantic brainwaves in their tracks.

"Yes, my lady."

Lily thought herself silly, even chuckled a little at herself._Of course he doesn't love me. I'm not silly enough to think that, am I?_

_But, at the very least, maybe he..._

"Do you wish to be by my side, in sunshine and in rain?"

"Undoubtedly, my lady."

Lily rushed forward and hugged him. "Oh, Casavir," she said, "I couldn't ask for more." Her visage was only tainted by a little disappointment, but he didn't take notice.

Then, drawing away from him, she corrected herself: "Actually, could you take your armor off?" The smile she gave him was no less than adorable, and it made him let down his guard.

Casavir unlatched his pauldrons, setting the heavy metal against a wall. He then began removing his armored gloves, followed by his boots, leg armor, and finally, his chest armor. He was now dressed in a plain, dark gray shirt and pants. They were lightweight and somewhat loose so as to be comfortable for the paladin underneath all that plate mail.

Lily looked from left to right as she admired his more natural form. Casavir was muscular – as he should be, carrying around all that armor all the time – but he wasn't overly bulky. His jet black hair made a sharp contrast with the lightness of his skin, and even moreso with his icy eyes, and his high cheekbones and arched eyebrows created the severity of his visage all by themselves. Lily always thought the seriousness of his face had been due to its conjunction with powerful, metal armor, but bearing witness to him in plain clothes proved her wrong.

Now Lily hugged him again. This time, his body warmth surrounded her and soothed her to her core, made her as comfortable standing up as she would be lying down. If only she hadn't gravity to worry about...

She began slipping, and Casavir held her fast. "My lady, can you stand?"

"Maybe not," she conceded with a chuckle. But she was just so comfortable here; she wanted to be able to let go.

Out of the blue, Casavir bent and grabbed Lily around her midsection and knees, suddenly hoisting her high into his arms. The extra weight didn't bother his sturdy stature in the slightest.

Lily positively squealed. "Casavirrr..." She giggled uncontrollably, wanting to wrap her arms around his neck but choosing instead to keep them pooled near her chest to try and stop her heart from pounding so noticeably, the organ beating rapidly at his sudden, very well-received gesture.

He carried her to the bed and set her down, laying her head closest to the corner of the room on his fluffy, pliable pillow. Then, he knelt down by her and looked attentively into her face.

"Is that better, my lady?" His expression softened seeing her lie there comfortably.

"Yes," she agreed. It was an odd feeling, having Casavir call her by such a formal title without being clad in his shining knight armor. He was really just that very rare kind of person. Here she witnessed a plainclothes version of Casavir acting as knightly as the man himself without any of the sharp shoulder armor, or the matching frown. The elf raised herself on her elbows, reached into her hair, and took out her hairband. She shook her head a little to make her wavy locks fall loose before lying back down to relax.

"You appear tired, my lady. Perhaps you should rest a while."

"Mmm," Lily agreed. Then she said his name softly.

"My lady?" He relished the sound from her lips.

"You are such an incredible person," she said with wonderment.

Casavir pressed his lips together, as if refusing the compliment. "I do not deserve such words."

Noting his stiff expression, Lily's mouth fell open. She stared at him in disbelief for a moment before sighing in frustration and looking up at the ceiling. Casavir's outlandish modesty was getting on her nerves.

"Can't you just take the stupid compliment?" she grumbled.

"But my actions do not merit it, my lady."

"You always say that," she complained.

Silence.

"Fine, then nevermind. You're not an incredible person. Forget I said anything." She turned away from him, staring at the wall with her eyes open as she cursed the obtusely upright paladin in her head.

Casavir, knowing she was upset, didn't want to leave her to stay upset in silence. On the other hand, perhaps that would be the best course of action to let her let off steam, especially considering he couldn't think of anything to say.

He heaved a sigh and rose to his feet.


	97. Chapter 97

* 97 * 3/24/13, 3/27/13

"Why do you do that?" Lily asked as she heard plated boots against the ground.

The paladin stopped moving toward the door. "Do what, my lady?"

"Hurt my feelings."

Casavir's jaw actually dropped. "My lady, when have I done that?"

"Just now. You make me feel like my words are worth nothing, like my compliments are offered to everyone casually, and then you just leave." Lily felt like she was being whiny, but she couldn't help it; she was more than a little upset that he wouldn't accept her sincere and heartfelt praise, praise she did not give out often. "I sometimes feel like I'm getting closer to you, and then you pull away from me again. I can never tell where I stand, whether we're friends or if I'm just your debtor." She almost felt spiteful now.

"My lady, of course we are friends," he insisted. Surely she didn't think he followed her only because of her help at Old Owl Well? But Lily said nothing. Casavir frowned. He had no idea he had made her feel that way.

"I keep trying to get you to talk, and sometimes you do. But I always have to ask you for you to say anything about yourself, who you are or where you came from, or even what you like to do in your free time. You never reveal _anything_ by yourself." Lily sighed exasperatedly. "I just keep stupidly assuming that you'll eventually consider me enough of a friend to confide things in me, whether they're things that matter a lot or relatively little."

Casavir breathed out harshly at the large number of misunderstandings plaguing her mind. "You are _not_ just a debtor to me, my lady," he pronounced clearly. Lily was quiet. He wasn't so sure she believed him in her irritable mood.

"I did not mean to take your compliment so lightly. I simply do not believe I deserve that kind of praise."

Lily oriented her body toward him again, looking up into his face with wide eyes. "If not you, then who does? I can think of no one who deserves it more."

"That is kind of you." He was glad she thought that much of him.

A huff. "Do you even _want_ to be more than just my knight to me, Casavir?"

Casavir's heart began pounding faster until he realized she was probably referring to friendship.

"Yes."

"Good. Because you already are, and your answer wouldn't have changed anything."

The paladin couldn't help but offer a weak but amused grin.

Lily fumbled with a crease in her red skirt. She let out a breath. "Are we even close, Casavir? Or is who I see not the real you at all?"

"We are close, my lady," he reassured her, wishing he could show her just how close he felt to her.

"Then show me, please."

Uh. Despite having just wished it, he wasn't expecting that.

"How, my lady?"

Lily rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in the air, aggravated again. "Do I always have to spell everything out for you?" She gave up.

This frightened Casavir. "Lily, I simply do not know what you mean," he explained in a rush to the complicated elf.

But Lily was unimpressed, and nonplussed. She merely shook her head and turned her face away from him.

Casavir realized his confusion would get him nowhere. He calmed himself and let silence fill the room for several heartbeats. Then, he asked very levelly, "What do you wish for, Lily?"

Lily glowered at him through one eye, deciding whether she felt like talking to him.

Then: "I have many different members on my team, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. But even despite the variety, I still don't have one thing." Lily appeared to be speaking to the wall. She didn't believe he'd become anything of what she was about to say, but she sated his curiosity anyway: "I want someone to protect me when I feel weak. Emotionally."

Casavir was surprised at her desire. For such a strong woman, her wish was very...feminine. Delicate. It touched his heart. He would enjoy being not only her protector, but also her confidante.

Lily sat up, looped her arms around her knees, and set her head on top. She felt weak whenever she felt frustrated, because she knew at those times that she got emotional, and sometimes didn't listen to reason.

Above all, though, she hated feeling alone, and when she felt weak, she felt alone.

Casavir knew Lily fairly well by now. She was a conundrum, though, how sometimes she became rather frustrated over little things and at other times was the most life-loving and peaceful creature he'd ever laid eyes upon. Thus, knowing she wouldn't give him any more clues about how to brighten her up than what she had already said – even if he asked – he thought for a minute.

Not believing the somber paladin had the emotional capacity to look more into what she said, Lily began playing with her hair. She felt uncomfortable now in the silence that pervaded the room, and she was expecting him to just leave. Good. She wanted him to leave if all he was going to do was stand there.

_At all times, however,_ Casavir continued his thought, _Lily enjoys affection._

_But what should I do?_


	98. Chapter 98

* 98 * 3/24/13, 3/27/13, 3/30/13

"...May I join you, my lady?" he asked after a few more minutes, desiring to sit with her. The elf immediately looked at him with a glint of hope and nodded, readily making room for him. Her demeanor had changed for the better awfully quickly, which led the paladin to believe he might have made the right choice.

Casavir climbed on the bed and sat down. He gazed at her and leaned back against the wall behind his pillow, at a loss for words as he prepared to act. He sat with Lily for a few moments as she glanced over at him now and then, wondering what he was going to do, if anything. Then, hesitantly, he held his right arm out to her.

Lily blinked. She positioned herself parallel to him and got a little closer. With his arm extended, though, Lily could tell that's not entirely what the paladin meant. She scooted closer, and Casavir placed his right hand on her shoulder.

Lily then understood. She leaned her head down and put it on his shoulder. Casavir repositioned his arm around her back when she got close enough, letting it rest completely still against her.

Lily looked off into space. She grinned happily to herself, surprised at having gotten a good deal of what she wanted.

_There,_ she thought. _Is this kind of gentle closeness with him really that much to ask for?_

Now embarrassed by her own nonsensical actions, she tried to explain her distraught and probably very difficult behavior: "Sometimes I just need a shoulder...someone to be close to." She purposefully left out the words "to cry on" in case their sweet, tender connotation would scare the paladin off.

"In such times, I will be there, my lady," Casavir promised softly, speaking with gentle breath against her hair.

Lily felt a grin play over her lips. "Really?" she asked, looking down at his still hand lying on his leg.

"Yes," he answered. He almost continued, "It is my duty," but he did not feel that would please her, and besides that, it wasn't fully true; that was hardly the main reason he would be there for her in such moments. He felt he was very slowly starting to understand what she did and did not want to hear, which comments frustrated more than soothed her.

"I will be right here for you," he repeated clearly.

Lily inhaled deeply and gave a warm sigh. "I'm very lucky to have you by my side, Casavir." She wrapped her arms around his right arm and held loosely onto him.

She was so happy that she could feel his warmth now, that there was only a thin, cloth material separating her from his skin. His shoulder was a far more relaxing and comfortable pillow this time than when she had dozed off on his shoulderplate in the dining hall.

She was also still a little tipsy, and she was learning that being close to Casavir was one of her most compelling desires at such times.

_Why?... _she wondered, completely puzzled. _Is it because it's so hard to get him to soften up?_

_Or is it because he's..._

Casavir's unarmored fingers made their way to Lily's neck.

_So..._

"My lady, may I?"

Lily nodded uncertainly, but leaned forward just a bit. The paladin's fingers then began pushing gently into her muscles.

_Wonderful... _she thought with a gasp as the novel feeling of Casavir's focused touch washed over her. As the paladin moved his thumbs to lightly knead the bare nape of her neck, she felt relaxation begin to creep into each of her limbs.

She couldn't help but compare Casavir's massage to Bishop's. Of course, they hadn't covered quite the same areas, so she couldn't be _too_ biased, but she noticed a key difference in their methods. Bishop pushed fairly hard into her skin – almost too hard – but had good technique regardless. Casavir's touch, on the other hand, was a slight too gentle for her tastes. He seemed to knew just where to press, though, but she just wished...

"Harder there," Lily suggested softly. When Casavir obeyed, the elf immediately let out a breathless, pleased moan. She felt floored as the paladin traced harder circles with his fingertips into her pliant, yielding skin, reaching muscles deeper beneath her skin.

"Cas... This is fantastic..."

"I am glad, my lady."

He continued for several minutes, the sensation of his strong hands working over the elf's sore neck muscles eliciting soft cries from her every now and then. The longer he touched her, the more she laid back on him, and the less room he had to continue. He stopped only when her head leaning against his chest and to his left kept one of his hands from moving any further.

The silence that followed was peaceful, comfortable. Lily once again thought of how happy she was that Casavir wasn't wearing his hard armor, and she was now nearly snuggling up against his chest. The paladin was similarly pleased, quite gladly serving as her makeshift pillow in the quiet moment.

Then, a whisper from the elf: "I love when you're like this."

The paladin heaved a deeply satisfied sigh from just behind her. "Like what, my lady?"

"Affectionate, and warm."

Casavir considered this for a full minute.

The next thing Lily knew, she felt a strong pair of arms wrap themselves around her front and settle her closely against his chest. The incredible, sudden warmth, combined with the paladin's closeness and having his cheek pressed right up against hers, made Lily stammer as she flushed red.

"U-um..."

Casavir let go immediately at the sound of her hesitation. He said, with considerable regret filling his voice to the brim, "I am sorry, my lady..."

Lily bit her lip. "No, shut up!" she said quickly, pulling his arms back into place. "I've...wanted this for a long time..." she whispered, the last fragment nearly incoherent.

Casavir's whole being stilled at her confession, and her desire to pull him close again. Only one word came to his mind.

_...Lily...?_

The room was quiet again, but after what was just said, the silence was unnerving to the elf. Getting the impression that he was thinking awfully hard about her words, Lily stuttered, "I-I mean... I wanted someone to be there for me."

_And this feels so good..._

Lily couldn't imagine feeling safer. Never had her noble paladin made her feel any more protected than she felt now, lingering longingly in his embrace.

Casavir had been quiet since his apology, which now seemed ages ago despite being only a minute before. He had retracted his very premature assumption about Lily's feelings after what she said, but hadn't believed any of it anyway. Still, he was happy just to embrace her like this, knowing that any form of rain or wind would have to wend its way around him to make it to her glowing skin...

Recalling the terrifying recent experience, and encouraged by the gentle atmosphere, Casavir breathed out. "Lily...I am truly glad you are all right. I was so worried," he whispered with firmness.

_His voice almost sounds like it's...trembling? No. That can't be right; this is Casavir,_ Lily thought.

"I'm okay now," she reassured him.

"But you were not." He couldn't say any more. His words stuck in the lump now in his throat.

"Yeah... I didn't really know how to find my way around, especially in the dark. I don't suppose I really have a knack for that kind of thing yet."

Casavir considered this. "We must learn, then."

Lily chanced a look to her left, directly into his face. "You and me?"

"Well... Yes, my lady..." he started. After staring into her green globes and letting the affirmation linger in the air for a mere second, the paladin caught wind of how forward his idea sounded – practicing in the woods alone together indeed had a rather piquant underlying connotation. "As well as the rest of the group," he finished in a rush.

"Oh. That might be a good idea," the elf granted. "We probably should."

The next plan of action was set, but despite that, neither of them moved, nor wanted to.

"Hold me like this for a little longer?" Lily requested almost shyly. "I just got you to show me affection; we can't go now," she reasoned.

Comments like that were what Casavir found absolutely irresistible about Lily.

"Of course, my lady," he permitted with a grin. A deep calmness overcame him in the seconds that followed.

In the next moment, however, the paladin's clear head was interrupted by a loving nuzzle from the elf in his arms. Lily couldn't help it; being where she was, nestled just against his chest, made her feel like she was his lover. Giving him doting attention felt so natural then.

Casavir was pleasantly flustered, if such a thing existed. "We...do not have to leave immediately, my lady," he managed. Having thought of no other way to word his sentence, he was twice as aware that it had come out almost boyishly.

"Okay," Lily giggled, enjoying his lapse, one that made his affections for her stand out rather plainly. The elf noticed, but refused to think anything of it, not wanting to make quick assumptions about anything again. She heaved a sigh and relaxed, largely due to the steady movement of the paladin's chest against her head and back. Casavir responded by leaning his head back gently against the stone wall.

The elf closed her eyes, divinely soothed in all of her limbs by the comforting fortress of Casavir's warmth.

_We are close, my lady, _the paladin's mind reaffirmed what he had stated earlier. He felt this now more than ever before, considering how true, even literally, his words were in their quiet moment.

Many minutes passed, and Lily's breaths became audible, albeit barely. The paladin leaned his head forward and checked her face.

She had fallen asleep.

_The drink must have finally taken her, _Casavir reasoned, in awe – and hardly unpleasantly – of that it had been while she lay against him. While it made perfect sense, it didn't make the scenario any less majestic.

The paladin felt peaceful, both in body and mind. He used his calm mental presence to think about what Lily had said. She wanted him to be more affectionate, and less "stiff". Thinking about the party member she desired to have, he figured this might be so she would feel comfortable relaying her emotions to him without being judged by his always-stoic expression. And she wanted to know more about him, even the things most often considered unimportant.

Casavir closed his eyes as this train of thought continued, slowly building resolve to talk to her more, perhaps even if there was no reason to, as she hinted. He normally would not have picked up on such a hint, but she had thankfully clarified she meant both pertinent information as well as minutiae were relevant to her. He could not begrudge her that; as the group's Leader, she would do well to know more about her companions. Perhaps he himself would do well to relay some of his thoughts and feelings to her, though he could not say he was used to the act. But, he wanted to know more about her, too. Revealing bits of himself might encourage her to tell him more about her history.

_CRASH!_

The sound was heard from the direction of the dining hall, right behind his head. Casavir was greatly irritated by this, especially so when it caused Lily's eyes to shoot open. She immediately broke out of the paladin's arms and stood up, facing toward him and the din.

"What was that?" she demanded, heart pounding.

Normally Casavir would care a lot more about the answer, but right now, all that mattered was that the antics of those currently in the dining room had made Lily wake up and disengage herself from him. He sighed, not even bothering to hide his frustration. "Likely broken dishes in the dining hall, my lady."

Lily looked at him blankly for a moment, still waking up. Then, she turned and walked quickly out of the room to investigate the commotion. Casavir waited awhile before getting up with another impatient sigh, following her to the dining hall.


	99. Chapter 99

* 99 * 3/30/13

It seemed Lily wasn't the only one who felt for a drink that afternoon.

Khelgar, as the elf soon found, had been the culprit. Neeshka was still pestering him, even after the food was gone, and several plates lay smashed to pieces on the ground. Lily guessed that the dwarf had chased the tiefling in his partially-drunken irritation. Most of the party was still there from that morning and stared on in bemused silence, though Bishop was conspicuously absent.

Upon seeing their Leader, both Khelgar and Neeshka stopped and looked at her.

"Um...hi," Neeshka offered sheepishly.

Lily just sighed. "All right, everybody round up," she suddenly ordered.

"Eheh..." Neeshka chuckled nervously, thinking she was about to be punished. Those within hearing range gathered around Lily curiously. Casavir entered as well, standing by her side.

"I know you all are tired of being stuck inside the Keep, and what just happened proves it," Lily began with a nod in the guilty party's direction. "I'm glad you all stayed with me when I was sick, but I don't want us all to get stir-crazy. So, Casavir and I have an idea."

"To prevent what Lily experienced from happening again, we must learn to fend for ourselves in the woods," Casavir filled in.

"In the dark," Lily added. "We'll start tonight." The paladin nodded affirmatively.

Elanee grinned. She thought that Lily and Casavir fit well together at the helm, dispensing information to the others. She could see the two of them working well together in more ways than one, to be sure. She also noticed that Casavir, for once, did not publicly refer to Lily as "our Leader", but had instead used her actual name.

The druid was also elated because what they described was just her kind of thing. If it were a test, she'd pass with flying colors, though she reasoned the whole thing had been planned mostly for the benefit of the other teammates.

And just then, Lily smiled at Elanee. The druid was taken off guard, but returned a very kind smile herself.

"If you don't mind, Elanee, you will be leading us."

The druid felt honored. "Of course, Lily." She was very happy that Lily didn't seem at all perturbed by her presence anymore.

"Are you guys ready to get the hell out of here?" Lily asked to rouse them.

"Yeah!" some shouted, including Khelgar and Neeshka. Qara then punctuated the air with a "Finally".

"We'll leave in half an hour. Use it to get ready, all of you," Lily commanded. "No one will be left behind on this trip."

That was a first. The group had never done anything with all eleven of them together. It would certainly be a new experience...whether good or bad.

Lily was optimistic about it. Not only would she get to return to the woods (under the condition of being with everyone else, of course), but she'd be spending time with all of her friends simultaneously. She walked back to her room to change her clothes, still wearing the shirt and pants she had worn the day before. She decided on taking another white shirt with green slacks again, though these ones would be in much better condition than the ones she had worn days prior...

Lily dressed into the new slacks and moved to her shirt. As she lifted the material off of her, however, she caught sight of a small but bright object on her bedside table. "The vanilla flower!" she said aloud, throwing off her shirt and walking topless over to the small bloom to pick it up.

She thought of Bishop, and an idea came to mind. Of course. Who better to help show them the ropes of being in the forest?

She began making her way out of her room, then quickly doubled back before reaching the door and slipped her new shirt on first.


	100. Chapter 100

* 100 * 3/30/13

Lily marched to the tavern with purpose, rather excited to be outside again. When she entered, she was almost disappointed to see Sal bartending as normal. She liked the idea of having Duncan around.

When she knocked on the ranger's door, only a second or two passed before it was ripped open. An at least somewhat pleasant-looking Bishop stood before her.

"Can I come in?" Lily asked, trying the familiar words again. It felt like a long while since she had used them, despite it truly only having been several days.

And how he had missed those words.

Bishop nodded, "Yeah."

Lily went inside his room, but didn't sit. She didn't really feel like it at the moment. She immediately got to the point, as they didn't have much time before the group was due to leave. "So, we're going into the woods again!" she proclaimed.

Bishop gave her a hard stare. They had just yesterday talked about how that was a bad idea when she hadn't fully healed.

Catching his gaze, she tsked. "Aw, come on, don't give me that look. It'll be all of us."

"'All of us'?"

"Yeah, everyone. All eleven of us are going to learn how to maneuver in the woods at night. Elanee agreed to help us. I was thinking you and Ela...nee..." She faltered as it suddenly hit her: Bishop and Elanee would be together in teaching the group.

Bishop made sense of what she was trying to say. "Maybe it's better if I don't go," he suggested.

Lily paused. "Why you and not her?"

"Because I know you like her, and you sound like you've already asked her to do it." He didn't want her to think what happened between Elanee and him would happen again, but he also just didn't want the two of them to be connected in her mind period, and not going would be the best way to ensure that.

The elf nodded, thinking, her features concentrated.

He had suggested it, but Bishop didn't actually like the idea of staying back. He figured this would be amusing, for one: he'd pay to see Casavir make a fool of himself in the woods. And he wanted to be with Lily if she was going to venture off into the woods again. She had even personally asked him to not long before she ran off.

"But..." Lily started. Bishop encouraged her to continue with a look. He wasn't too sure of how she felt about he and Elanee working together, and he wanted to clear up any misunderstandings.

"But I want you to go, Bishop," she finished. Her bright green eyes flashed at him. They paralyzed him, and her words made this only worse, especially since he had gotten unused to her gaze and attention over the past several days.

He wanted to go. But he didn't want to be associated with Elanee. But did he really have a choice? He looked at her for a long few moments.

"I'll go," he finally said.

"Good!" she replied enthusiastically. She took his hand and placed the single petal that was left of the vanilla flower in his grasp. Then, giving him only an adorable smile and no time to change his expression from curious disbelief, she waltzed bouncily out of his door like a sprite to rejoin the others in the Keep.


	101. Chapter 101

* 101 * 3/30/13

Half an hour later, Bishop joined the massive party, and all of them were now gathered in the Keep's main hall. He once again spotted the unbearable silver of the paladin's attire in the corner of his eye. This time, however, he was surprised to note the other had chosen to wear just a chain shirt instead of his usual, bulky plate mail. Not a bad choice considering their destination.

"All right, is everyone ready?" Lily called. Amidst nods and words of agreement from the group, the sun elf marched outside the large fortress doors. Everyone the huge party passed stopped whatever they were doing to stare in awe at their number, to marvel at their collective power. They witnessed each warrior who had been gossiped about across the land march across their line of vision in the direction of the fields. Even the guards at the front said nothing, nodding nervously as the powerful band made their way out toward the fields.

"Hold the fort down for us while we're gone," Lily said with a wink to Bevil as she walked past. He smiled and nodded vehemently.

The party continued with no clear leader, first making their way out of the walls of the Keep before assigning anything more. Once they were located in a large, comfortable spot for them all to spread out, they did, and Lily stood on top of a rock in the center of the semicircle to make herself heard.

_Or to make herself taller, _Bishop sniggered.

"All right, everyone, here's the idea: we're going to go trekking in the woods and spend the night outside. I made a really stupid decision recently, but it was a good opportunity to show us that we need to know how to do this." A paladin still plagued by haunting worries about her condition nodded. "We have communication mirrors, but these ones will run out of juice after a day or so, so be sure to come back before that," Lily explained as Grobnar passed out the lesser-quality equivalents of Lily's mirror, each crafted from elemental essences. "Be sure not to use those unless you run into real trouble; the point in all of this is to try to do everything on your own."

"Elanee will be at the helm of this little operation," the elf continued as the druid walked forth. "As well as...well, you guessed it: Bishop!" When the moody ranger only folded his arms, she waved him forward and he came to the front with a scowl.

"We will separate into groups of two, except for a single group of three because of our odd number. No, you can't choose your partner, else you'd be biased," the elf added as soon as she saw Neeshka getting too excited. "Your partner will actually be decided by...um..." Just then, she saw a man strolling by. "By this guy!" she proclaimed. "What's your name, sir?" Lily asked while pulling him aside.

"Me?" the man asked, pointing to himself like a moron.

"Yes, you!"

"Uh, sure!" he said, excited despite his complete lack of understanding what was going on. He didn't even answer her question.

"Your name?" Lily tried again with her brow raised. Neeshka snorted at the guy's cluelessness.

"Oh." He blushed, happy she'd even asked. "I'm...I'm Seevy!" he managed.

"Okay, Seevy," the elf replied, glad the guy was playing along. "Match these people up," she said, gesturing to the large party, "with each other. Randomly. It doesn't matter at all who gets whom."

"Er, well, okay, m'lady," Seevy replied. Casavir looked displeased, and Lily lifted both eyebrows at the familiar title, this time coming from an unfamiliar man.

"That guy," he said, pointing to Sand, "should be with that guy with the freaky, glowy tattoos," he finished, gesturing at Ammon Jerro. Ammon positively facepalmed. Sand crossed his arms.

"She's with him," he said of Neeshka and Khelgar. Immediately, the two of them faced each other and stuck their tongues out. Lily let out a breath in uncertainty. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea.

"And he," Seevy continued, motioning at Bishop, "is with him," he finished on Casavir.

Both men's jaws fell.

"Uhh... I'm _really_ going to have to suggest you _don't_ do that, actually..." Lily said in a rush. She probably should have mentioned that, but she had been hoping he didn't pair them.

"Hm. Okay. Well, then he can go with this little dude," he said, correcting his choice to Grobnar.

Bishop scowled fiercely. "Like that's any better!" he shouted, but he was ignored. The bard only smiled blissfully in no particular direction.

"And she should be with you," he said, motioning at Qara. Qara pumped her fist and let out a "Yes!" Seevy's last three pairings had been nothing short of a disaster, and the sorceress was grateful the same fate had not befallen her, too.

The guy looked once more at Casavir and said, "Then that dude's with that green lady over there." He pointed at Zhjaeve. Her expression could not be _known_ behind her veil, but if her narrowed eyes were any indication, she wasn't pleased at being "that green lady". Casavir himself had flinched at being called "that dude".

"Okay," Lily breathed nervously. "Well, that was...not entirely painful. Thank you, Seevy."

"What about her?" Seevy asked, pointing to the leftover druid.

"We'll choose a spot for her. I already see a problem area that she'll have to fix in one of the groups," the elf admitted.

"Oh, okay. Bye now!" Seevy replied, totally unaffected by her insinuation as he waved goodbye to them and continued his path to the fields.

"'_Problem area_'?" Bishop abruptly sneered.

"For once, this isn't about you, Bishop; can you believe that?" Lily returned just as quickly, not missing a beat. Her tone was playful, though, so the ranger chose to wear a piquant expression but not reply. Casavir raised his brows at their exchange.

Lily focused her attention on the dwarf and tiefling. The two of them were still making faces at each other. "I mean _those_ two. Elanee, would you mind being with them? I really don't think they'll be able to concentrate on anything but fighting if they go alone together. I have a feeling we'd have to find them after they got lost."

"All right," Elanee replied, though she was clearly not thrilled at the idea of babysitting two asinine clowns many, _many_ years her juniors.

"So," Lily started again, raising her voice to the group once more, "we'll start off all together, and stay that way for about an hour or so. After that, we'll split up into our groups." This earned yet another scowl from the brooding ranger, and two times that from "the problem group".

"Let's go, then!" she waved simply. Now they all stayed relatively clustered behind Bishop and Elanee...though the paladin in tow chose to stay closer to Elanee.

_Good riddance, _the ranger thought irritably. He couldn't stay that way for long, though. As he marched off into his all-too-familiar home of the woods, a welcoming smirk crossed his face.


	102. Chapter 102

* 102 * 4/1/13

The party was no stranger to walking over several different types of terrain, but each time they made their way into the woods, there was usually a scout of some sort with them, performing any tasks that involved more intimate knowledge of their surroundings. Bishop. Elanee.

Now, when they grew hungry, they had to pick their own berries, and the two scouts would refuse to tell anyone precisely which berries were edible; instead, they gave a handful of helpful hints to figure out whether or not they were by their look and texture alone and made them work off of that. Only when Neeshka was about to bite into a poisonous berry did Elanee start actually naming the most common species of berry bushes in the area and whether they were dangerous. Bishop, on the other hand, would have preferred to see the tiefling's face go purple.

The _only _upside to having Grobnar as a partner is that the ranger didn't have to teach the gnome how to use a bow. Ammon and Sand wouldn't deign to use "such an unnecessary tool", feeling haughtily superior with their command of magical energies. This attitude made Bishop roll his eyes and purposefully ignore teaching them anything useful...that is until Lily noticed and made it a point to put the ranger in charge of the two casters until everyone separated, earning her a vicious scowl.

"Can't always get what'cha want," she replied to him coolly with a sly grin.

"Hmph. That's the last time _you're _getting any vanilla. You can't find it without me, after all," he retorted.

Lily's jaw positively dropped. "B-but–!"

"Nope," he said simply. The elf folded her arms and frowned, stomping back off to Elanee's gathering, which had begun to separate twenty or so meters out from Bishop's pack and became even more distanced as the minutes wore on. The druid had more of an audience, seven to four, given the ranger's rather backward way of "helping" his underlings by throwing them headfirst into the most perilous parts of the forest and seeing if they could figure out how to escape the baby wood demons and very vicious, lively vines by themselves. Elanee preferred to give her large band words of advice just before approaching such things so everyone had at least an inkling of what to do next. In return, however, she was adamant that no one use any weapons besides bows and daggers, so all staves, warhammers, axes, and swords were in one of the weight-reducing magic bags the druid carried in her backpack.

Her upfront advice hardly meant they were free from peril, however. Lily cried out in panic suddenly as she felt a disturbingly familiar sensation: a vine from a hostile, nocturnal tree she had failed to avoid wended its way around her arms and tightened until both of them were locked together low behind her. Before even Elanee moved, Casavir approached quickly and grabbed hold of the vine with both of his gloved hands, pulling hard until it ripped apart at the center. It released the elf with a muffled shriek, one end cowering back to the tree from whence it originated.

Elanee observed everything. "You don't seem like you'll have a problem with that kind of thing, Casavir," she commented, "But Lily really needs to practice how to rid herself of such things by herself, too." Casavir met the druid's eyes and nodded his understanding.

The druid then thought for a moment. "Actually, you could help her practice. Would you mind being the vine, Casavir?"

Lily and Casavir both blinked cluelessly in their confusion.

"Restrain her," Elanee clarified.

Casavir's brows raised, but he understood the importance of the exercise. He got behind where Lily – who still wore an uncomprehending expression – now stood. With a "Pardon me, my lady", the paladin grabbed hold of her arms and held them behind her in the same position, just below the small of her back.

Lily did a test struggle and was surprised to find that she could actually move fairly well. She smirked. _Give me a few seconds, _she thought, _and I can rip right out of here._ This would be easier than she originally imagined. Is that really all Casavir had?

"Don't go easy on her, Casavir," Elanee ordered curtly. The paladin nodded again, conceding that his politeness had no place in this demonstration. This time, he held her in place with his normal grip.

Lily struggled again...and now couldn't move at all, even in the tiny spaces in his grip that had before had quite a lot of leeway. "H-holy..." she let out in astonishment, her confidence definitely faltering now as she felt the strength of Casavir's hold on her increase by about five hundred percent.

"Now, Lily, try to break free, using any method you wish."

Lily gave the druid an impatient, disbelieving look of _that's-easy-for-__**you**__-to-say_. She wondered if even Elanee herself would really be able to escape the grip of a paladin who had spent several decades comfortably carrying around an entire other person's worth of weight in armor daily. She twisted her wrists – or, at least, tried to – but this was of no use: his fingers around her wrists were unyielding. Then she tugged away from him, pulled her body forward with the strength of her legs placed strategically beneath her, but it was to no avail: her erratic movement was nothing more than a small nuisance to the paladin, and his grip remained firm.

Lily grew frantic, tugging her upper body forward and down again and again. Both Neeshka and Qara's eyes shot wide as they observed the position this put her in in relation to the paladin. Qara kept her mouth shut, choosing only to bite back an amused laugh, but Neeshka let out a small squeak, not even blinking in her fascination with the "lesson" now.

Lily frowned at herself as she began losing strength without getting any closer to escaping. Being frantic hardly helped her think. She stopped moving for a moment and pulled her lips to one side of her mouth, making a "tsk" sound as she thought. Everyone watched her in silence, though Neeshka's mouth was still hanging open at the idea of this entire exercise.

As soon as Lily was able to ignore the pressure from the others' eyes on her, she got an idea. She positioned her legs as she had before, bluffing that she was going to try and pull straight out from him again. Then, as fast as she could, she pulled her right leg up and then thrust it straight backward into the paladin's right, cloth-armored knee. Casavir let out a small growl. His grip faltered for only a split second, but that was all the time it took Lily to disentangle herself from him and leap toward the others.

"Yes!" she shouted, twirling around and pumping her fist into the air. Then she covered her mouth just as fast. "Sorry, Casavir," she said sheepishly between her fingers.

Despite his minor discomfort, Casavir grinned. "Well done, my lady." Khelgar and Qara exchanged amused glances and Lily and Neeshka both outright doubled over in laughter. He sounded like he was complimenting her on hurting him, which seemed really preposterous and hilarious to both girls. Even Zhjaeve looked almost happy for her.

Elanee gave a single clap. "Well done, Lily," she echoed. "If that were a vine, though, it could have either broken or tightened if you'd kicked it so hard in one place like that. Let's hope it's the former. You can never really know for sure until you try," she added unhelpfully.

Lily didn't let Elanee's realism spoil her sense of achievement. "Now what?" she inquired eagerly. She was starting to enjoy this game.

"Now get into position again," Elanee instructed. Lily made a confused face but obeyed, turning her back toward Casavir as he took her wrists in his hands again. "This time, Casavir, I want you to bring her arms up right behind her back and lock them there completely horizontally. As Lily found out, the key here is to look for weaknesses you can exploit, so you must protect your knees somehow this time."

The paladin held her arms fast just behind her back now. He thought for a moment on how he could protect himself, but came up with nothing. Then, he smirked when he realized the innate brilliance of the new position: he didn't have to do anything to cover his knees. With his new hold on her, Lily's upper body was no longer able to launch forward and add strength to her kick. She could certainly still kick him from a straightened position, but the power behind it would be several times weaker, and definitely would not be enough to make his grip loosen now. Elanee returned his smirk of understanding with an amused expression of her own.

Lily found out the hard way what the two of them already understood. She tried to move forward again, but now the paladin had control of her upper body, making that next to impossible. The elf hmphed and gave Elanee an insolent glare. The druid's expression remained adamant.

Lily tried twisting her torso from side to side and hitting him with her shoulders, but this also didn't work; even if she was able to move more, the blow would be so light as to have little effect. She paused for a full minute and closed her eyes, feeling out her position slowly and thinking. An idea hit her, but it had more than one part to it. If he didn't fall for the first part, she still wouldn't be able to get out.

The elf began swaying left and right now, having a little more freedom to do this than her former attempts at escape because of Casavir's strength being focused at the lower part of her torso. The paladin kept her from being able to sway far enough to unbalance him, but braced himself and separated his feet a bit more anyway to keep a surer center of gravity.

Lily smirked and quickly drew her foot to the front and away from him, swinging it back around his leg in an out-to-in arc and looping around his ankle. With both of his legs now supporting his left, but not right, side, Casavir focused on regaining his balance on his right side rather than holding her as powerfully. Thus, the elf ripped herself away from him again, this time triumphantly twirling twice toward the team. She curtsied gracefully, and Neeshka clapped excitedly.

"Great goin', Lily!" the tiefling enthused.

"Very nice!" Elanee called glowingly. Casavir grinned in awe at Lily's cleverness. She had lured the seasoned battle veteran into a trap, and he had fallen for it. Even Khelgar was impressed.

"Now what, now what?" Lily asked with pungent elation.

"Positions again." The two of them resumed their stances. "This time, put your hands right above her elbows on each of her arms. Push them up and back toward you and keep them there, with the thumb of each hand pressing down on her forearm to hold it locked to her upper arm." He did.

"Good. Now try again, Lily."

This position was an enigma to Lily. Now she could go down none of the paths she previously had open to her. Casavir had the top of her torso under his control and she couldn't sway, and even if she could, the intelligent paladin would hardly fall for the same trick twice. She also couldn't lean forward and take out his knee again. The first thing that came to her mind after that was to pull his hair, but she couldn't reach anything of use with her upper and lower arms locked together as they were. To make sure she couldn't even reach her fingers to his face, he tucked his head in the gap between hers and her left arm.

She was trapped. The most she could do now is try to squeeze his head with her arm, but she hardly had the strength to do it with enough force to harm him. Plus, she could smell the sweet scent of freshly-picked berries on his breath with his face so close, and it distracted her, making her stir.

The other group members stared on as the two of them held their faces close against one another. Lily kept looking from the paladin's eyes back to his lips. Qara grinned at the dramatic entertainment, and Neeshka was no less appreciative. Khelgar's mouth just hung open.

The two of them barely even seemed to register they were in front of everyone else now. Elanee noticed, but didn't tell them to abort the exercise despite Lily not actively trying to get away anymore. Instead, the druid was looking on with morbid curiosity just like the rest of them.

Lily touched her nose to the few strands of the paladin's dark hair that tickled her face and breathed in deeply, taking in his scent. Casavir came close several times to nuzzling her, or kissing her cheek, but unlike her, he was still aware of the many pairs of eyes on them and thus did not act his temptations out. After a few more moments of lingering in his grasp, however, Lily modified her aim and bit Casavir's earlobe playfully, and the paladin let go of her immediately in shock.

With a satisfied smile, the elf looked expectantly at Elanee. The druid was speechless, however, as was most everyone else.

Qara was the first to speak. "Wow, Lily, you really know how to knock 'em dead," she said with a teasing wink. Lily's smile widened mischievously. She cast a glance back at Casavir and was pleased to find a crimson tone scattered across his cheeks. When he caught her eye, he cleared his throat uncomfortably.

Khelgar still couldn't say anything. The dwarf was just glad Bishop was now at least fifty meters to their left and probably still distracted with his own group. He didn't even want to think what would have happened otherwise after a display like that.

Elanee finally regained her voice. "Well. So. I hope that demonstration taught you all something," she said lamely. No other words were coming to her mind, really.

"Oh, we learned something all right," Qara replied, winking at Lily again. The elf smiled all over again at Qara's encouragement. Neeshka looked like she was about to approach Lily and say something, but before she could, the wizard had begun walking behind Elanee, back toward Casavir.

Elanee's voice rang out again, trying to get everyone back on track. "Zhjaeve, are you fairly comfortable in the woods?"

"Know that I have faced worse threats than..."

But all other voices now faded out in Lily's head. She stopped in front of Casavir.

"Thank you for helping me practice," she said sweetly.

"Of course, my lady. You did well," he added.

Lily was surprised at the compliment. "Thank you," she replied with a genuine smile. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Casavir almost looked amused. "My lady, I trust we have traveled long enough together for you to know that it takes more to wound me."

His straight response made Lily laugh. "You're right, I'm sorry for underestimating you," she giggled. "Or for overestimating myself."

"No, my lady; the blow struck true and was quite powerful..." he trailed off, a hint of uncertainty lining his features.

"It was quite powerful_lll_...?" she encouraged, craning her neck to keep looking into his face as his gaze fell to the ground.

"...For what I imagined it would be, my lady," he finished sheepishly at her prompting.

"Oh-ho-ho!" Lily opened her mouth in shock and feigned offense, then playfully hit him on the arm. "_Thanks_, Cas. I appreciate it!"

Her wide smile told Casavir not to worry about having hurt her feelings. He sighed in relief, but he still wanted to clarify what he had meant by it. "My lady, you are a wizard... I simply meant..." He was cut off by a finger put to his lips. The two of them were now in a different realm, one with only each other; the others were nowhere to be found in this plane. They stared into one another's eyes, icy blues matched with lime greens.

_Whenever I feel alone...he makes me feel so much better. _she marveled._How does he do that? And he treats me like...like no one else..._

Lily leaned up on her toes, took his face in her hands, and kissed him. Casavir immediately wrapped his arms around her waist and returned the pressure on her lips.

And the group behind Elanee craned their necks around her to absolutely gawk at them.


	103. Chapter 103 - T

* 103 * 4/1/13, 4/24/13, 4/29/13, 4/30/13

Neeshka positively shrieked in delight, and Qara started laughing with her mouth wide open in pleased disbelief. The two of them made cat calls and the sorceress couldn't stop slapping her knee in her excitement.

"This is really happening right now, like, for real," Qara howled.

Elanee's words had been cut off by the girls' sudden outburst and she now stood with her mouth hanging open in silence, facing Casavir and Lily kissing. She was still standing between both separate parties.

Zhjaeve _knew_ this would happen. Khelgar, for once, had a big smile on his face at witnessing the two of them. "Finally," he let out, then made an embarrassed face and covered his mouth. Neeshka and Qara just kept laughing. Seeing their enthusiastic reactions made him continue: "I knew the lad'd win her over." Zhjaeve looked perturbed at someone else using her line.

For Lily, this kiss was different. The urge had simply..._hit_ her, inexplicably. It wasn't because she was lonely, and it wasn't because she felt neglected. She had a moment before gazed at him with curious, absorbing green eyes and wondered about what kind of man he was outside of battle as well as in, about whether he had anymore secrets that tugged at his very soul. His character was then of the utmost interest to her, and though that had always been the case, never had she been lost in thought about it so much as she was a minute before, entranced by his mesmerizing, mighty, ever-prepared stance – a solid, unbreakable stance that made Lily understand why the gith had called him the _Katalmach_, a name for a warrior who loses himself in battle. She now kissed that warrior with many emotions flooding her being.

_Does this...mean something? s_he asked of herself, overwhelmed both by Casavir's essence and what it now invoked in her. To her confused dismay, Casavir felt her change in demeanor, too, and as soon as he sensed this, his kiss became so passionate, focused, and loving that it made tears start to well up in Lily's eyes. It was overwhelming.

_No... I... I don't..._ She almost panicked, but couldn't.

After a few more seconds, they at the center of attention broke their lips apart with the smallest of sounds, and the two remembered where they were, as well as whom they were in front of. Casavir looked very languidly to the party behind Elanee, hoping against hope that if he moved slowly enough, they would not be there by the time he faced them fully. But they were. He let go of Lily – though he made sure it wasn't quickly enough to hurt her feelings – and couldn't make eye contact with any of them. Still, he savored the sweet taste of fresh strawberries he had come away with from Lily's lips. Strawberries, he thought, were his new favorite berry.

Lily, still under the intoxicating influence of Casavir's gentle kiss on her lips, faced them all with a manufactured, triumphant look on her face, though on the inside, she was still terribly confused. Qara interpreted this coy look to mean it probably wasn't the first time they had kissed, but _was_ the first time they had done it with everyone being present.

"What were you saying, Elanee?" Lily inquired coolly, acting as if nothing had happened, mostly for her own sake. She had to first figure out _what_ had just gone on before acknowledging that it ever happened.

Elanee didn't even remember. "Nevermind, let's just...move on," she said, continuing the trek deeper into the woods. The others followed her wordlessly, but with plenty to say in their body language as Lily, Neeshka, and Qara bantered back and forth about what just happened without ever opening their mouths to speak. Casavir was too busy staring strictly at the grass as he walked to try and interpret what they were "saying". Khelgar and Zhjaeve tried not to stare at the insanely embarrassed paladin too much as they moved.

"Well," Elanee started again after a few unbearably tense minutes, "It's about time you all learned how to use a bow." She wanted to permeate the thick, emotional air and get everyone focused again.

Lily grinned. This was just her type of task. She wondered how Casavir and the others would fare, though, some of them being used to heavier weapons and others used to only staves. She worried the least about Neeshka; the able, maneuverable rogue surely knew how to shoot a bow.

"I will be teaching you all one-by-one before we separate into our groups. The rest of you can watch knowing that I will be able to instruct you individually when it is your turn." The wood elf brought out two bows from her bag, as she and Bishop were the only ones allowed to have any extraneous items on them besides the communication mirrors.

Lily immediately spoke up. "Elanee, can I use one while you teach someone with the other?" She couldn't help her impatience; knowing how to do this already made her eager to show off a little.

"All right, but I will need to have it back before we split up."

"Okay!" Lily grabbed the bow and an arrow and immediately got into position. The position itself was invigorating, especially given how much time she had spent away from the outdoors. If she honest, it had felt like aeons; so much had happened since. Elanee fumbled with resorting the contents of her bag and closing it. The others thus turned to Lily just as she fired a test shot at a tree.

Lily smirked. Almost dead center.

Casavir's lips parted. His body filled with a warm feeling again as he was pulled back out of his daze with one shot of her arrow. He had no idea their Leader could handle a bow as well as her usual magic weapons, and he was impressed.

"Yikes, Lils. Where'd ya learn that?" Neeshka asked.

The elf did a mock curtsy. "I have my ways," she answered cryptically. Qara had a knowing grin on her face. It didn't take much guesswork to figure out where – or _whom _–Lily had learned archery from. The realization didn't strike Casavir or the others, though, and the sorceress wasn't about to spoil their Leader's fun.

Lily couldn't hold it back; her pride temporarily spilled over and she declared, "Would anyone like to learn from the elven master?"


End file.
